'Not in a good position...': 12 bomb threats in 3 days force airlines into costly flight returns, delays

Indian airlines are reeling from 12 bomb threats in just three days, forcing planes to divert, departures to be delayed. The ripple effect has turned into a financial nightmare, with industry sources telling BTTV that losses are "moderate" but mounting rapidly, akin to those seen during severe weather disruptions.

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

Airlines are shouldering enormous costs—overtime for crew, extra fuel for detours, and even hotel stays for stranded passengers. One glaring example: an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York that had to be rerouted to Delhi after a bomb scare. According to a CNBC TV18 report, that diversion alone cost the airline about ₹24 lakh, with 70-80 tons of fuel dumped before landing. The tab didn’t stop there—passenger accommodations in Delhi tacked on another ₹12 lakh to the bill.

The report highlighted how rerouting flights mid-air and delaying departures hike fuel and crew costs, but there’s more—arranging overnight stays, rescheduling passengers, and securing new landing slots at crowded international airports is adding up to huge operational headaches.

Flights sitting idle at foreign airports are compounding the issue, waiting for available landing slots while airlines scramble to pull in fresh cockpit and cabin crews due to strict duty limitations. 

It’s a perfect storm of costly delays hitting airlines hard during one of their busiest travel periods.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are actively assessing the situation. A Bomb Threat Assessment Committee has also been convened to evaluate the risks and determine necessary countermeasures.

A meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport was held on Wednesday to address the issue, and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held discussions with ministry officials and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Ministry is now working with law enforcement to identify the sources of these hoax calls, with plans to place the culprits on a “no-fly list” once they are apprehended.