Bomb hoaxes on flights: Aviation industry's new financial headache

In the past few days, Indian airlines have faced multiple hoaxes, forcing flight diversions and delays, piling up massive operational costs.

In Short

• 13 bomb hoaxes in 3 days hit Indian airlines
• Flights diverted, causing huge financial losses
• Government forming committees to tackle hoaxes

Imagine boarding a flight, excited for a long-awaited holiday, only to hear the captain announce a sudden diversion due to a bomb threat. The chaos and confusion that follows aren’t just stressful for passengers but are now becoming a costly headache for airlines. In the past few days, Indian airlines have faced multiple hoaxes, forcing flight diversions and delays, piling up massive operational costs. What seems like a harmless prank to some is quickly turning into a financial storm for an industry already battling sky-high expenses during its busiest travel season.

The latest being a Vistara flight operating from Frankfurt to Mumbai. It received a security threat on social media on Wednesday, an airline spokesperson said, adding that the aircraft was taken to an isolation bay for inspection after landing safely at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

In the past three days, Indian airlines have experienced 13 bomb hoaxes, forcing flight diversions, delays, and cancellations. While these threats often turn out to be false alarms, they are causing real financial losses for airlines, which are already struggling with rising expenses in one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

"While we don’t have an exact figure yet, airlines are facing major costs related to crew, passengers, and preserving goodwill. We are not in a good position to manage these diversions, especially with the festive season ramping up occupancy," reported BusinessToday quoting a industry insider.

When a bomb threat is received, airlines are required to take immediate action, which includes diverting flights, conducting security checks, and ensuring the safety of passengers and crew. These measures come with significant costs. Airlines face extra expenses such as overtime pay for crew, additional fuel for detours, and hotel stays for stranded passengers.

One example is an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York, which had to be rerouted to Delhi due to a bomb scare. According to CNBC TV18 report, the diversion cost the airline around Rs 24 lakh for fuel alone, with a further Rs 12 lakh spent on accommodating passengers in Delhi. Similar scenarios have unfolded with other airlines, leading to mounting losses.

Flight delays also add to the problem. Rerouting planes mid-air and rescheduling departures not only increase fuel costs but also disrupt crew schedules. In some cases, airlines must arrange overnight stays for passengers, book new landing slots, and bring in fresh crew due to duty limitations. All of this makes handling bomb threats a costly affair.

Airlines aren’t the only ones affected. Airport operations are also thrown into chaos as authorities carry out security checks and investigations. Delays can cause a domino effect, impacting other flights and leading to further disruptions.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), along with other agencies like the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is actively working to address the issue. A Bomb Threat Assessment Committee has been formed to assess the risks and recommend countermeasures to prevent future hoaxes.

Law enforcement agencies are also involved in identifying the sources of these hoax calls. Once the culprits are apprehended, the Ministry is considering adding them to a no-fly list to prevent future incidents. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has held meetings with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and ministry officials to discuss the way forward.