Surge in bomb hoaxes, Know how aviation security responds
New Delhi: A wave of consecutive bomb threats targeting multiple flights over the past week has disrupted airline operations and sparked serious concerns about aviation security protocols in India. Although all the threats were confirmed to be hoaxes, they caused significant delays and inconvenience for passengers and crew members, prompting airlines to initiate anti-terror protocols.
Airlines alerted the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and sought its support for a coordinated response to the threats. The disruptions have raised questions about handling such incidents, even when the probability of a real threat remains minimal.
“We are aware that 99.99 percent of these threats are false alarms. However, no one can afford to ignore the 0.01 percent chance that one may be genuine. This is why, despite stringent pre-departure checks at airports, we treat every threat with the utmost seriousness,” a senior MoCA official told The Indian Express.
When a mid-air flight receives a bomb threat, an immediate alert is issued, and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) at the nearest airport convenes to evaluate the situation. Depending on the credibility of the threat, pilots coordinate with Air Traffic Control (ATC) to decide whether to return to the point of departure, proceed to the destination, or divert to an alternative airport.
For grounded flights facing similar threats, the aircraft is moved to a remote bay for thorough inspection under BTAC supervision. In cases involving international flights already beyond Indian airspace, Indian authorities collaborate with international ATC and security agencies to determine the next course of action, often diverting the flight to the nearest airport.
The spate of bomb hoaxes has prompted the Indian government and MoCA to explore long-term measures to prevent further disruptions. “These hoax threats are being taken very seriously by the aviation regulator. They are working toward identifying sustainable solutions,” said Asangba Chuba Ao, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, addressing reporters on Sunday.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
