India's airlines and airports have faced a staggering 999 fake bomb threats this year up to 14 November, as revealed by the country’s deputy civil aviation minister in parliament.

This marks an almost tenfold increase compared to the bomb threats reported in 2023, according to Mr. Murlidhar Mohol.

Notably, over 500 of these threats were recorded in the last two weeks of October alone.

The sharp rise in these hoaxes has caused significant disruptions, wreaking havoc on flight schedules across the country.

The minister clarified that all recent bomb threats turned out to be false alarms, stating, "No actual threats were found at any airport or aircraft in India."

Law enforcement agencies have registered 256 complaints, resulting in the arrest of 12 individuals linked to these incidents, Mr. Mohol added.

Despite this proactive response, the number of cases marks an unprecedented surge in such hoaxes.

Between 2014 and 2017, authorities logged only 120 bomb-related hoax alerts, with nearly half of these targeting the nation’s busiest hubs—Delhi and Mumbai airports.

This October’s wave of false threats caused flight delays and even forced some flights to change their routes.

Threats aimed at international flights also brought foreign agencies into the fray.

For instance, in October, Singapore's Air Force scrambled two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express flight following a bomb threat.

In another incident the same month, an Air India flight traveling from New Delhi to Chicago had to make an unscheduled landing at a remote Canadian airport due to a threat.

Passengers on that flight were later flown to Chicago on an Air Force aircraft arranged by Canadian officials.

India’s civil aviation ministry subsequently stated it was taking "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety of flight operations.

To handle such situations, Indian airports have operational Bomb Threat Assessment Committees. These assess the severity of each situation and determine the steps to take.

Responses may involve deploying bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs, ambulances, police units, and medical teams.

Passengers, along with their cabin and checked baggage, are deplaned and rescreened. Additionally, aircraft are thoroughly inspected by engineering and security teams before receiving clearance to resume operations.

Such delays result in substantial financial losses, costing airlines and security agencies thousands of dollars.

According to the civil aviation ministry, over 150 million passengers traveled domestically within India last year.

India manages more than 3,000 daily flights across its network of over 150 active airports, 33 of which are international hubs.

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