Special alerts have been issued at Kolkata Airport since last night till today after Netaji Subhas Chandra International Airport (NSCBI) authorities received a threat of a hydrogen bomb attack on Sunday night.
Following a series of bomb scares and threats across the country, Kolkata is now on alert. Late on Sunday night, a call threatening a plane hijacking and the presence of a hydrogen bomb onboard was received on the landline number of Kolkata airport’s e-portal. Immediately, a high-level meeting was called by the airport authority, CISF, and police at Kolkata international airport. According to sources, at 10.55 pm last night, at the landline of Air India’s security check e-portal at Kolkata airport a voice claimed, “A plane hijack is about to take place mid-air in a short while!” The call was then disconnected. Exactly two minutes later, the phone rang again, and the voice said, “There is a hydrogen bomb, and a major disaster could happen at any moment!” Kolkata airport authorities were immediately notified, and a high alert was issued.
A meeting was convened with senior officials from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the police, lasting nearly two hours. Following the meeting, the airport authorities filed a formal complaint at the Netaji Subhas Chandra International Airport police station. The police are investigating from where the call originated and why it was made, and an inquiry has been launched by the airport police. On Monday, the civil aviation ministry held a press conference to discuss the steps that will be taken in response to the repeated bomb threats on flights. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated, “Our top priority is the safety of passengers and maintaining timely operations. We are committed to ensuring that air travel remains uninterrupted. Along with the current security infrastructure, additional stringent security measures are being implemented.” A decision has been made to increase security checks at airports by and CCTV coverage will also be expanded. The ministry of home affairs is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the civil aviation ministry. The government is also planning to amend laws to ensure stricter penalties for those spreading false bomb threats. Discussions are underway with other ministries to introduce these legal changes. Spreading false bomb threats may result in a fine of up to Rs 10,000, jail time, and a lifetime ban from flying (No-Fly List). The opinions of all airline operators are being sought on this matter. Central investigative agencies and police from multiple states are working together, and the civil aviation ministry has requested an expedited investigation. The ministry will provide further details after receiving the full investigation report. Until now, any incidents within airports or on flights were handled under the legal provisions of the civil aviation ministry.
There is now consideration of classifying threats made to flights on the ground or from outside the airport as cognizable offenses. Notably, over 100 fake bomb threats have been reported across the country in the past week, with eight flights being forced to change routes due to these threats.