Miscreants making hoax calls about bomb threats to airlines and airports will be put on a no fly list and face₹1 lakh fine. In case an organisation is held responsible for hoax threats, the fine could stretch up to ₹1 crore.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has amended the Aircraft (Security) Rules 2023 to provide for the penalty following a spate of hoax calls in October.
Two new rules
Two new rules have been added in the rules post the amendment. The first modification empowers the Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to issue written instructions to airlines to refuse admission to passengers in the interest of security. Previously the rule limited a person’s entry into an airport on grounds of security.
The second amendment bans communication of false information to jeopardise safety of aircraft or airports, cause panic among passengers and disrupt flights. Violation will attract fines ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹ 1 crore depending on whether the offender is an individual or an organisation.
Domestic airlines received nearly 1,000 threat calls this year and nearly 680 calls were received in October alone. This resulted in diversion of flights and disruption to schedules prompting the government to revise its rule.
“Safety and security are our highest priorities and we are committed to taking strictest action against those behind these malicious acts,” Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu had said in October.