India: IndiGo, Vistara flights receive bomb threats; over 70 hoax calls reported so far

Six IndiGo flights on Sunday (Oct 20) received bomb threats, prompting the airline to release statements addressing the issue. IndiGo confirmed that the affected flights included 6E 112 from Goa to Ahmedabad, 6E 133 from Pune to Jodhpur, and 6E 58 from Jeddah to Mumbai. In a statement, the airline said, “We are cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 112 operating from Goa to Ahmedabad.”

They further added, “We are cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 58 operating from Jeddah to Mumbai. The safety and security of our passengers and crew is our highest priority, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities and taking all necessary precautions as per the guidelines.”

The specific flights that received the bomb threats include:

• Flight 6E 58 (Jeddah to Mumbai)
• Flight 6E 87 (Kozhikode to Dammam)
• Flight 6E 11 (Delhi to Istanbul)
• Flight 6E 17 (Mumbai to Istanbul)
• Flight 6E 133 (Pune to Jodhpur)
• Flight 6E 112 (Goa to Ahmedabad)

Meanwhile, on Sunday, six Vistara flights also received bomb threats. Vistara issued a statement confirming, “We confirm receiving security threats, on social media, for six Vistara flights operating on 20 October 2024. These flights include: Flight UK25 (Delhi to Frankfurt), Flight UK106 (Singapore to Mumbai), Flight UK146 (Bali to Delhi), Flight UK116 (Singapore to Delhi), Flight UK110 (Singapore to Pune), Flight UK107 (Mumbai to Singapore). In line with the protocols, all relevant authorities were immediately notified, and security procedures, as directed by them, are being carried out. As always, the safety and security of our customers, crew, and aircraft remain our top priority.”

The threats come just a day after more than 30 flights operated by various Indian airlines, including Air India, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air, reportedly received bomb threats.

So far, over 70 flights from Indian carriers have faced bomb threats, all of which have turned out to be false alarms.