PM Modi suggests 'whole of govt' approach to tackle hoax bomb threat menace: Report

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Airlines in India have received more than 85 fresh security threats today. Within a span of 24 hours, 20 Air India flights, 20 Indigo flights, 20 Vistara flights, and 25 Akasa Airline flights have received hoax bomb threats.

Given the current wave of fake bomb threats to airlines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 24 suggested the “whole of government” approach to tackle the menace, News18 reported. The report quoted sources as saying that the Centre is taking the hoax bomb threats “seriously”. To tackle the same, wide-ranging legislation is under work, including a law to place perpetrators on a no-fly list, the channel reported.

Over the past nine days, over 170 flights operating in India have received hoax security threats, which have not only disrupted flight schedules but left passengers distraught.

Taking hoax bomb threat messages and calls seriously, the government has started identifying those behind the menace and asked social media platforms like Meta and X to share data on such messages, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.

The government has also asked top multinational technology conglomerates to cooperate with it in helping to identify those behind such hoax calls, saying this involves public good.

Top sources said the government has traced some people who were behind hoax bomb threat calls targeting airlines and that action is being taken accordingly.

"The government has told social media companies Meta and X to share data pertaining to such hoax calls and messages made on their platforms targeting several airlines and asked them to cooperate," a senior official said.

"They will have to cooperate and provide data since this involves public good at large," he said when asked whether the social media companies are cooperating with the government or not on the issue.

(With agency inputs)