Bhubaneswar airport receives bomb threat, high alert sounded

Amid the spate of bomb threats to Indian airlines, the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar received a hoax bomb threat call on Thursday. 

Speaking to OTV, Bhubaneswar airport director Prasanna Pradhan informed that the threat was declared a hoax after security checks were carried out at the airport.

"It was not a bomb threat call. It was a hoax bomb threat received through 'X' (Twitter). The threat message mentioned that bombs have been planted in several flights of Air Akasa. That has been declared non-specific," Pradhan said.

As per reports, following the bomb threat call, a high alert has been sounded at the airport. Besides, the BPIA authorities have intensified security checks.

Moreover, dog squad and bomb squad personnel have been pressed into service at the airport.

Hoax Calls & Govt's Plan To Deal With It

The Centre is seriously planning to take legislative action to deal with such hoax calls and fake bomb threats to aircraft. The government is considering to make the punishments harsher to deal with the pranksters. 

Reportedly, a few steps are likely to be taken like a change in the Aircraft Security Rules which will allow the authorities to ban the culprits from flying.

Besides, through amendments to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation (SUASCA) Act, 1982, the Civil Aviation Ministry aims to deter pranksters from posting such threatening posts or making hoax calls.