Bomb hoax threats to Indian airlines spark chaos
A report in the Indian Express said that an anonymous account on X, formerly Twitter, was suspended after posting bomb threats to at least 40 flights on Friday and Saturday.
This included flights operated by both Indian and international airlines, including some from the United States and New Zealand.
“There are bombs placed onboard … No one will make out alive. Hurry up and evacuate the plane,” read the identical messages from the suspended account, the newspaper reported.
Among recent flights impacted was an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York, with US security officials sweeping the plane after its safe landing on Saturday.
Other flights impacted include an Air India plane from New Delhi to Chicago, which was forced to make an emergency landing in the far northern Canadian city of Iqaluit on Tuesday.
Canada’s air force had to fly the passengers on.
On the same day, Singapore scrambled fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane.
On Thursday, British Royal Air Force fighter jets escorted an Air India Boeing 777-300 after a threat was made against the plane, which landed safely in London.
On Friday, a Vistara flight from New Delhi to London had to divert to Frankfurt in Germany.