Wave of Bomb Threats Disrupts Air Travel in India and Abroad
A series of bomb threats targeting Indian airlines has led to significant disruptions in air travel, prompting emergency landings and heightened security measures. Notably, an Air India flight from Mumbai to London received a bomb threat an hour before landing, forcing the Royal Air Force to scramble fighter jets to intercept it. Multiple flights, including a New York-bound Air India flight carrying 239 passengers, were diverted due to similar threats. Indian police have arrested minors in connection with some of these hoaxes, suspected to be revenge plots. Security agencies are tracing the origins of the threats to IP addresses in London and Germany, and the Indian government is considering new legislation to impose stricter penalties on those issuing hoax threats. The aviation sector faces potential financial losses from these incidents, which have been particularly troublesome for airlines like Air India and IndiGo.
BBC.com, Reuters India, Al Jazeera English, NDTV, The Times of India, The Indian Express, CNN, The Independent, The Hindu, India Today