Summary
- An Akasa Air flight was delayed in Mumbai recently after a man called up to say there was a bomb in the plane.
- The call was traced to a man in Bengaluru who was trying to get his wife on the aircraft.
- There have been increasing incidents of passengers making hoax bomb calls in recent months.
It seems some people are totally oblivious to the power of technology and think that they can get away with threatening an airline with a bomb and not have the authorities trace their number. Usually, when people are late for flights, they just have to accept that the aircraft will depart without them. However, a man in India was determined to get his wife on an Akasa Air plane, even if it meant making a dodgy, and totally illegal, phone call.
Running late
It’s a frequent occurrence at airports around the world – some passengers turn up late only to be told that the check-in time is over and they can’t board the aircraft. Normally, that would be the end of it, but a recent incident in Mumbai was slightly different.
According to a report by The Indian Express, a woman was scheduled to fly from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) on an Akasa Air flight. However, she arrived late and was told she couldn’t board the aircraft. The Indian Express quotes a senior inspector, airport police station, who explains what happened,
“Investigation revealed that after finishing her work when Bakde’s wife was on her way back to Bengaluru, she got late in reaching the airport and could not board the flight. She then informed Bakde about it who then made a call to the airline and gave a bomb threat call to delay the flight.”
Photo: Akasa Air
Cell number traced
Of course, any call like this is taken seriously, and all airlines have to follow strict protocols in handling such situations. When the flight’s captain learned about the call, he informed the air traffic control, and soon, the airport police approached the aircraft.
All passengers were deboarded, and the aircraft and the luggage onboard were thoroughly checked. When nothing suspicious was found, the call was declared a hoax. An investigation traced the call to a number in Bengaluru, and that’s how the man was caught. The inspector said,
“Bakde was arrested on Saturday and after two days in police custody, he got bail on Tuesday. People should refrain from making such hoax calls as they will land in deep legal trouble. Bakde is now facing a criminal case in which he could be given seven years of imprisonment if convicted.”
Photo: Akasa Air
Not an isolated incident
There have been far too many incidents of this kind where passengers throw the bomb word casually without realizing the consequences of such threats. In December 2023, a man left his wallet on a SpiceJet plane, and instead of just calling up the airline normally, he resorted to a bomb threat to retrieve it.
Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock
In October, an Akasa Air flight from Pune to Delhi was diverted to Mumbai after a passenger claimed he was carrying a bomb in his bag. The aircraft had to make an emergency landing and was met by the authorities upon arrival.
Related
Rising Incidents Of Indian Flyers Throwing The ‘Bomb’ Word Around Casually
Three such incidents took place in the last few days.
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