Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has faced a renewed wave of bomb-threat emails targeting several incoming international and domestic flights over the past week, triggering emergency checks, diversions, and heightened security, though all threats were later declared hoaxes.

Hyderabad’s RGIA was placed on high alert multiple times between 5 and 8 December 2025 after several incoming flights received anonymous bomb-threat emails.

Aircraft from Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, Kuwait Airways and IndiGo were flagged, prompting emergency protocols, evacuations, and detailed security sweeps.

All aircraft either landed safely, diverted, or returned to origin, and no explosive material was found. Authorities have opened investigations, calling the threats deliberate hoaxes aimed at spreading panic.

Fresh Wave of Threats Forces Emergency Response

Hyderabad airport operations were repeatedly disrupted this week after a series of bomb-threat emails landed in the airport’s customer-support inbox. The first major scare emerged on 5 December when an email threatened Emirates flight EK 526, travelling from Dubai to Hyderabad.

The message, received just 60 minutes before landing, prompted immediate activation of standard protocol. The aircraft was guided to an isolated bay, passengers were evacuated, and bomb-disposal teams swept the aircraft thoroughly. No suspicious material was found.

The situation escalated over the following 48 hours. On 6 December, two more international flights – British Airways flight BA 277 from London Heathrow and Kuwait Airways flight KU 373 – received separate threat emails.

BA 277 landed under surveillance and was cleared after checks, while KU 373 was instructed to return to its point of departure as a precautionary measure.

Then, on 8 December, three more flights were flagged in a single email reportedly sent from the same unidentified sender: IndiGo 6E-7178 from Kannur, Lufthansa LH-752 from Frankfurt, and another British Airways service from London. All flights landed safely but were subjected to full-scale evacuation and inspection.

Airport officials stated that each activation of the emergency protocol involved the CISF, local police units, bomb-disposal teams, dog squads, and airport firefighting units working in coordination.

“All necessary precautions were taken, and passenger safety was prioritised at every step,” an RGIA official said. “Every aircraft was cleared only after layered security checks.”

Investigators have since concluded that all threat messages were hoaxes, but the repetitive nature of the emails has raised concerns about intention, capability, and potential security gaps.

Multiple Hoaxes Signal a Worrying Pattern

This week’s incidents are not isolated. Hyderabad airport has been dealing with a pattern of bomb-threat hoaxes over recent months — many of them strikingly similar in language, timing and targeting.

In June, both RGIA and Begumpet Airport were hit with near-identical bomb-threat emails referencing extremist groups. Authorities discovered nothing suspicious in either location. In November, an IndiGo flight from Madinah to Hyderabad was diverted to Ahmedabad following a threat that was later proven baseless.

Prior scares on flights arriving from Kuwait, Dubai and Delhi have resulted in diversions, emergency landings and massive deployment of airport security resources.

Experts observing the spike believe these repeat hoaxes are designed to create disruption rather than pose genuine security dangers. Each incident leads to logistical chaos – diversions, delays, passenger distress, and costly emergency checks.

Security analysts also point out that such threats exploit aviation’s “zero-tolerance” approach. Even one unverified email forces a multi-agency response, because the consequences of ignoring a threat could be catastrophic.

Police sources say investigations are under way to track the source of the recent emails. However, officials acknowledge that digital anonymity, VPN masking and offshore servers make it harder to confirm identities quickly. It is unclear whether one individual, a coordinated group, or multiple copycats are behind the threats.

This is compounded by the strain already visible within the aviation sector due to heavy flight disruptions and cancellations in recent weeks driven by staffing shortages and operational tensions at some airlines. For many travellers, the bomb scares magnify existing anxiety.

Operational Impact and Public Response

Although all threats were declared hoaxes, the operational impact has been significant. Flights returning to origin, mid-air diversions, and prolonged security sweeps have caused ripple delays for hundreds of passengers.

Some passengers expressed frustration at long waiting hours following evacuation, though many also acknowledged the necessity of stringent safety checks.

Airport authorities have urged the public to remain calm while emphasising that “safety supersedes all inconvenience”. Airlines too have asked passengers to monitor flight updates closely, especially when travelling during ongoing high-alert periods.

At the same time, experts underline that hoax threats are not victimless crimes. They drain resources, cause large-scale disruptions, strain emergency responders, and create widespread psychological stress.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

The present wave of hoax bomb threats highlights the delicate balance between national security and public trust. While authorities must respond decisively to every alert, the repeated misuse of threat emails to sow fear is deeply troubling.

It overwhelms security systems, disturbs flight operations, and places unnecessary stress on travellers and frontline workers.

The Logical Indian believes the path forward lies in strengthening digital tracing mechanisms, speeding up threat assessment, and ensuring that those behind such hoaxes face meaningful consequences.

At the same time, passengers must remain calm, cooperative, and supportive of security personnel who are working under immense pressure.

A more secure, empathetic and resilient travel environment can be built only when authorities, citizens, and civil society work collaboratively, guided by values of peace, caution and mutual trust.