Hoax Bomb Threats: Change In Rules, No-Flyer List, Legislative Action—What Aviation Minister Said

Amid a dramatic and unprecedented surge in the number of hoax threats issued to Indian carriers, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday said a series of measures were being planned to crack down on the menace.

The government is mulling changes in rules and regulations to take severe action against miscreants issuing hoax threats to airlines, Naidu said. This includes a likely amendment in the Aircraft Security Rules, the minister said.

"We want to ensure that once the perpetrators behind the bomb hoax calls are caught, they are put on the 'no-fly list'. For this, we need to amend the Aircraft Security Rules," Naidu told reporters in New Delhi. Those added to the no-fly list are barred from flying through any domestic or international carrier.

The move to put those behind the hoax calls on no-fly list will "strengthen our fight" against such miscreants, the minister said.

Around 100 flights, including those on domestic and international routes, received bomb hoax threats over the past one week. At least eight of these flights were diverted, Naidu said.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has "thought of some legislative action if required" to prevent the hoax calls, Naidu said. This includes a likely amendment in the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, he added.

The law has several provisions for offences that are committed when the flight is mid-air. However, it does not cover offences committed when the flight is yet to take off. These include offences like issuance of hoax threats to airlines before the plane has departed, Naidu explained.

"Since changing this Act requires feedback from other stakeholders as well, we have reached out to other ministries. We are in the process of bringing in changes. The amendments will allow us to register a cognisable offence against miscreants even when the flight is on ground," he said.

Naidu said though the threat calls were eventually found to be a hoax, airlines have been asked to adhere to domestic and international security protocol to ensure the safety of passengers.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is holding meetings with the Ministry of Home Affairs in this regard, Naidu said. "The meetings are being held at every level."

All major Indian airlines, including IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa Air have been affected due to the flurry of bomb threats since Oct. 14. Apart from disrupting the schedule and causing inconvenience to crew and passengers, the hoax threats cause significant financial losses as well to the carriers.