Test As the major Indian airline companies, including IndiGo, Vistara and Air India,

New Delhi: As the major Indian airline companies, including IndiGo, Vistara and Air India, continue to receive bomb threats for their international and domestic flights for over a week now, a virtual meeting was held by the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITy) on Tuesday (October 22) evening. Joint Secretary Sanket S. Bhondve chaired the meeting, which included representatives from Air India, Vistara, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), Meta, and X (formerly Twitter). During the meeting, Bhondve raised concerns about the hoax threats and specifically pulled up X for its handling of the situation and went to the extent of saying that the present situation amounts to X abetting crime. On Tuesday, nearly 80 domestic and international flights received bomb threats, later confirmed as hoaxes, affecting thousands of passengers and security agencies. The estimated losses for airlines due to these disruptions are around Rs 600 crore, according to two former airline officials. Among the flights targeted were 13 each from IndiGo and Air India , over 12 from Akasa Air, and 11 from Vistara. Sources stated that on Monday night, around 30 flights from IndiGo, Air India , and Vistara also received bomb threats. In nine days, more than 170 flights operated by Indian carriers have been threatened, mostly via social media platforms. These incidents have led to the diversion of some international flights. According to officials, disruptions to domestic flights cost around Rs 1.5 crore, while international flights incur losses of Rs 5-5.5 crore. A back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates the average cost per flight disruption is Rs 3.5 crore, totaling around Rs 600 crore for all affected flights. Costs vary depending on factors like aircraft size and flight duration. In response to the ongoing threats, the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) protocols have been updated, and the government is planning legislative action to place perpetrators on a no-fly list. Amendments to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act (SUASCA), 1982, are also being proposed, allowing for the arrest and investigation of offenders without a court order when an aircraft is on the ground. Changes to aircraft security rules are also under consideration to ensure stricter punishment for bomb threat perpetrators.