A security alert went out to every airport and airline in India on Friday January 22nd 2010, after a potential terrorist warning intimating that an aircraft hijack would take place was received. A spokesman for the Indian home ministry referred to “reliable” information relating to a proposed terror attack and, as a result, security was boosted across India’s airport network.

In a statement, India’s civil aviation ministry stressed that measures had been taken to try and counter this threat, and these included placing sky marshals on a number of flights.

Indian Aircraft Hijack Threat

The Indian aircraft hijack threat was linked by the Indian government to insurgents connected both to Al-Qaeda and LET (Lashkar-e-Taibi – a group based in Pakistan). It came hot on the heels of comments made by Robert Gates – US Defence Secretary – on January 20th, who raised the prospect of extreme terrorist action taking place in this part of the world.

This action, Gates said, might involve creating a situation that would trigger conflict between India and Pakistan. Three previous wars have been fought between these two countries, and the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai soured relations further.

Aircraft Terror Alert

National carrier Air India was among the airlines that Indian media reports linked to this aircraft terror alert. The Mumbai-based airline is Asia’s sixteenth biggest, and flies to 24 locations around the globe. It operates a fleet totalling 35 aircraft – all of them either Boeing or Airbus products.

In terms of destinations, the warning is said to have referred both to flights leaving Indian airports, and/or those arriving at them from other countries in Southern Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Of India’s other carriers, a number have made already made statements in relation to the terror warning. “The overall security is provided by the government but we have our own security and our aircraft are guarded”, the manager of Jet Airways told news agency AFP.

“We are strictly abiding by all the guidelines given to us by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security”, an unidentified Kingfisher Airlines official advised the same source.