Akasa Air flight diverted after bomb threat amid surge in security alerts

On Wednesday, an Akasa Air flight en route to Bengaluru from Delhi received a bomb threat, adding to a series of such threats targeting multiple airlines over the past two days.

The flight, carrying 174 passengers, including seven crew members, was closely monitored by the airline's Emergency Response Team and was diverted to Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi.

An Akasa Air spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating, "Akasa Air flight QP 1335, flying from Delhi to Bengaluru on October 16, 2024, and carrying 174 passengers, 3 infants, and 7 crew members, received a security alert."

The airline’s Emergency Response teams advised the pilot to reroute the flight to Delhi as a precautionary measure. "The Captain is following all required emergency procedures for a safe landing in Delhi, with an estimated arrival time of 14:00 hrs. Ground teams are prepared to assist passengers upon landing to ensure their safety and comfort," the spokesperson added.

In a related incident, an IndiGo flight was also diverted due to a security threat. "Flight 6E 651, operating from Mumbai to Delhi, was redirected to Ahmedabad following a security-related alert. The aircraft was isolated, and all passengers were safely disembarked. Safety remains our top priority," said an IndiGo spokesperson.

This follows a string of hoax threats yesterday, involving two IndiGo flights and one Air India flight, including Air India flight AI119 to New York and IndiGo flights 6E1275 to Muscat and 6E56 to Jeddah.

In response to the increasing number of threats, the central government has decided to double the deployment of Sky Marshals on flights originating from airports across the country.

A senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official revealed, "The decision to increase Air Marshals was made following assessments of the growing threat and inputs from intelligence agencies." Air Marshals, part of the National Security Guard (NSG), specialize in anti-terror and anti-hijacking operations, primarily on international and sensitive domestic routes.

Sky Marshals, introduced in India in 1999 after the hijacking of Air India IC 814, are armed plainclothes officers tasked with preventing hijacking attempts onboard commercial flights.

Amid the recent surge in threats, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has called a high-level meeting. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held discussions with officials from the Bureau of Civil Aviation and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to address the situation.

More than 10 bomb threats have been reported on social media in the past two days.