Guwahati: Following the lethal bomb blast that took place near Delhi’s Red Fort metro station on 10 November, several Air travel routes across the country were severely disrupted on Wednesday, as multiple airports received bomb threat alerts and ordered immediate evacuations and intensive security checks. The alerts triggered widespread panic among passengers and staff; no explosives were found after thorough inspections.
Moreover, it was reported that an alarm was raised at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 3) following an ‘email threat’. The email was sent to the airline officials created havoc among them.
Similarly, several messages reportedly targeted IndiGo and Air India Express, including a specific threat involving an Air India Express flight from Mumbai to Varanasi, were received. The aircraft was promptly grounded, and passengers were safely evacuated while bomb disposal teams combed the plane and the surrounding areas.
Consequently, security agencies sprang into action by pressing into service Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS). They conduct an intense anti-sabotage check at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad. Operations were partially disrupted as authorities put the safety of travellers and aviation staff on top of their agenda.
According to officials of Delhi Police and the Central Industrial Security Force, preliminary investigations revealed that these threats were sent through anonymous emails and believed to be a part of a coordinated hoax. Cybercrime teams started tracing the source of these messages while the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security asked all airports to maintain maximum vigilance.
The bomb threats come days after a blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which already heightened security at major transportation hubs nationwide. While most airports are back to normal operations, the message has gone out to reassure passengers that all necessary precautions will remain in place. The authorities are treating the matter with the utmost seriousness, underlining that the safety of passengers remains the top priority while investigations continue.