The seemingly unending wave of bomb threats received by airlines is disrupting the Indian aviation industry, with 36 such incidents being reported by press time on Sunday. The threats have been traced to a social media account, which has now been suspended. The troubles started on Monday with three flights receiving bomb threats. Since then, the number kept escalating.

“The increasing number of threats has thrown flight schedules into disarray, causing delays and rescheduled flights, leaving passengers to deal with the ensuing chaos,” said a highly placed Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) source. “The BCAS has stepped up its efforts to manage the situation. Late on Saturday evening, BCAS Director General Zulfiquar Hasan met with airline CEOs to assess the status and discuss strategies for handling the ongoing threats,” the source added.