Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced on Monday that the Ministry is considering changes to existing laws to address false bomb threats on aircraft, including placing those responsible on a no-fly list. Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, the Civil Aviation Minister mentioned two potential actions.

“From the Ministry, we have thought of some legislative action if it is required. We have come to the conclusion that there are two areas that we can explore – 1) Amendment in Aircraft Security Rules… one of the ideas that we want to propagate by changing these rules is that once we catch hold of the perpetrator who is behind this, we want to put them in the no-flying list… 2) Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act,” Naidu said. 

This comes after recent incidents where airlines, including Indigo, Visatara, Air India, SpiceJet and AirAsia, faced a series of bomb threats, with close to 100 threats reported since past seven days. 

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SpiceJet received five hoax bomb threats concerning flights SG 55, SG 116, SG 211, SG 476, and SG 2939, while AirAsia faced similar threats for flights 9I 506, 9I 528, 9I 822, 9I 661, and 9I 804.

Govt plans to add 50 airports under UDAN scheme

Naidu also spoke about the “UDAN Yojana,” stating that the government plans to launch 50 new airports or expand the capacity of existing ones under the scheme to enhance regional connectivity.

“We are envisioning the UDAN scheme for further more 10 years. We want to take it forward for 10 years because in the next 5 years, we are planning to start 50 more airports or enhance the capacity of existing airports. Upto 2047, we feel that we have the capacity to increase the airports to more than 200. We have 157 today and we can take it up to 350,” he said.

He emphasied that the “UDAN Yojana” has been a transformative initiative in civil aviation, driven by PM Modi’s vision to make air travel accessible to all. Naidu informed that the scheme has primarily benefited remote and underserved regions, particularly in the northeast and hinterlands, by providing much-needed air connectivity. 

“These areas, once lacking any substantial travel links, are now connected not only to major metropolitan cities within India but also to international destinations, highlighting the scheme’s far-reaching impact over the past eight years,” he said.

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