Airline Bomb Hoax Crisis: Ministry Of Electronics And IT Slams X For Lack Of Response Mechanisms

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology convened a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing issue of hoax bomb threats affecting airlines in India.

The meeting was chaired by Joint Secretary Sanket S. Bhondve and included representatives from Air India, Vistara, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, and social media giants X and Meta.

According to NDTV, Bhondve expressed concerns about the role of X in the current crisis, suggesting that the platform's lack of adequate response mechanisms amounts to abetting of crime. The meeting aimed to address the flurry of hoax bomb threats that have plagued the aviation sector over the past weeks, leading to significant financial losses.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation reported that airlines have incurred losses of approximately Rs 500 crore due to these threats. Sources indicate that around 200 flights have received bomb threat calls, disrupting schedules and, in several instances, resulting in flight diversions.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu revealed that since the threats began on Oct. 14, eight flights have been diverted, necessitating emergency landings at nearby airports.

On Monday, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu 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.