Govt mulling legislative actions to deal with bomb threats to airlines: Union Civil Aviation Minister

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Monday said the government plans to take legislative actions to deal with instances of bomb threats to airlines, including placing perpetrators of such threats in the no-fly list.

In the last one week, nearly 100 flights of Indian airlines received bomb threats.

At a briefing in the national capital, Naidu said amendments are being planned to aviation security rules as well as the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is continuously in touch with the Ministry of Home Affairs on the situation of bomb threats to flights, he said.

To a query on whether there is a conspiracy behind the threats, Naidu said investigations are on, and did not offer any specific comments.

"Safety and security of passengers are of utmost priority," he said.

Chiefs of BCAS, CISF meet Union Home Secy; discuss issue of bomb threats to airlines

Two top aviation security officers met Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Monday and discussed the unabated incidents of bomb threats to Indian airlines, leading to diversions, cancellations and passenger inconvenience.

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) Director General (DG) Zulfiquar Hasan and Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Rajwinder Singh Bhatti met Mohan at the latter's office at North Block here. The three officers remained closeted for about half an hour.

Hasan and Bhatti, both senior officers belonging to the Indian Police Service, have briefed the home secretary about the incidents of bomb threats and the steps taken to check such incidents, sources said.

However, details of the meeting are not known immediately. As many as 25 flights of Indian airlines received bomb threats on Sunday.

The developments came a day after more than 30 flights of various Indian carriers received bomb threats. This week, nearly 100 flights received threats sending security agencies into a tizzy. The threats later turned out to be hoaxes.

The BCAS lays down standards and measures in respect of security of civil flights at international and domestic airports in India while remaining sensitive to the globally evolving aviation security scenario.

It also enforces all standards and recommended international practices as well as domestic operations. The BCAS coordinates, monitors, inspects and trains personnel in civil aviation security matters thereby maximising effectiveness of aviation security and minimising acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation operations.

The CISF guards 68 civilian airports in the country by deploying about 40,000 personnel who provide counterterror security cover, frisk passengers and screen luggage.

Inputs from PTI