False Threats, Real Costs: How Bomb Hoaxes are Shaking Indian Aviation

Aviation is the backbone of modern transportation, and India’s civil aviation sector has seen rapid expansion, fueled by rising demand and a growing roster of airlines.

This growth, however, hinges on the sector’s reputation for safety—an assurance that rests on stringent protocols covering every part of the aviation ecosystem: airspace management, aircraft security, airport operations, and critical support infrastructure. Safety has, understandably, become the primary pillar of public trust in air travel, with government oversight central to its enforcement.

But that trust is under strain. A recent spike in bomb hoaxes has disrupted India’s aviation industry, creating uncertainty and staggering financial strain. In just over a week, more than 170 flights operated by Indian carriers—both domestic and international—received bomb threats. These incidents covered routes to countries as distant as the United States, Canada, and Singapore. Some threats were even issued mid-flight, prompting emergency rerouting to the nearest airport, often far from the intended destination. In one case, an Air India flight to the US was diverted to Canada, while another bound for Frankfurt was rerouted to Turkey. Occasionally, even diversion options are limited; Afghan authorities recently denied one such rerouting request, heightening the security complications.

Needless to say, bomb threats create humongous psychological impact on both the service providers and the commuters. Such threats are generally received through email or mass media platforms, as they are cheaper and an anonymous means for communicating the threats.

Interestingly, an appreciable number of hoax bomb threats were received mid-flight. A mid-flight threat leads to an immediate diversion, to the nearest airport, which many a times may be far from the intended destination. For example, a few days ago an Air India flight bound for the US had to be diverted to Canada, after receiving a threat, while a Vistara flight to Frankfurt was diverted to Turkey. Sometimes a country may refuse permission for diversion of an aircraft facing a bomb threat, which can further complicate the security scenario. Afghanistan is one such country which had refused diversionary facility to an Indian civil aircraft, facing the bomb threat.

The perpetrators of these mid-flight threats seem to be aware of the fact that sudden rerouting of flight (post receiving a mid-flight threat) comes with a hefty operational cost, involving scrambling of fighter jets to escort threatened flights, extensive checks on baggage, cargo, and additional catering once the aircraft lands at an unscheduled airport. The time delays may run into hours, necessitating airline crew replacement (due to exceeding their duty hours), additional maintenance as well as providing facilities for commuters ‘comforts.

Some government and airlines officials have estimate that a single bomb threat can cost an airline more than Rs. 3 crores. The cumulative financial loss to the involved airlines, due to these hoax bomb threats, has been estimated to be between Rs. 80-100 crore. Further, the associated fuel wastage has added to both total fuel costs and the environmental damage. Overall, these hoax threats have not only caused mass disruptions but have also eroded commuters’ trust in aviation security.

Indian Authorities/ airlines officials have suspected that motives for such hoax threats could range from malicious intents, attention-seeking, mental health issues, and pranks. Some aviation security officials have described a pattern about how the threats were being issued. They observed that a single threat was initially given using social media platform or through a phone call, resulting in sudden appearance of similar threats, within a short span of time, revealing well planned and coordinated actions. Officials also said that though the exact motives, for the hoax, have not been determined yet, they were intended to disturb the aviation sector, create panic, and keep all relevant agencies on their toes.

Whatever may be the reasons, pinpointing the individuals responsible for the threats has not been easy. Investigations have revealed that threats were received via emails (mostly from outside the country), social media like X, WhatsApp and phone calls. Determining the IP addresses (for emails) has been difficult, due to use of modern camouflage technologies. The social media perpetrators could not be tracked, as the service providers of X and WhatsApp refused to divulge the sources, adding to the suspicion of planned conspiracy.

Despite authorities’ efforts to treat every threat as credible, they face a disturbing reality: vigilance is not enough. A Kanishka-like air tragedy (the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182) remains a sobering possibility if complacency takes root. More robust legislation, mandatory information-sharing protocols, and enhanced digital surveillance capabilities are essential tools in preventing these recurrent threats from escalating into real attacks.

For now, India’s aviation sector finds itself caught between vigilance and vulnerability. As the legendary strategist Sun Tzu advised, “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” In an era of ever-evolving security threats, India’s aviation industry must make that proverb its creed.

(The author is a retired Indian Naval Aviation Officer and a geo-political analyst. Views Personal.)