In light of a series of bomb threats in recent days, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced on Monday that he advocates for placing individuals responsible for bomb hoax threats on a no-fly list, adding that safety was a top priority for the government.

He said they were also mulling an amendment in the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (SUASCA) Act, 1982. "It is a very sensitive situation when it comes to such threats, there is an international procedure that we have to follow,” he said, as per NDTV.

ALSO READ: Russia To Raise Vande Bharat Regulatory, Technical Hurdles During PM Modi’s Visit For BRICS Summit 

The minister mentioned that numerous meetings have taken place with stakeholders since the surge in bomb threat calls started. He indicated that amendments to the Aircraft (Security) Rules are being considered to ensure that individuals making these threats can be added to the no-fly list once identified.

"If you look at the last week, eight flights have been diverted. Each threat is assessed individually and our response has been efficient and dynamic. We are also not compromising on safety and security. Even though most of them are hoax threats, we cannot take them lightly. The lives of passengers are important, the security situation is important and protocol is important. We have enhanced security at airports," Naidu added.

Section 3 of the Act established penalties of life imprisonment and fines for any communications made “onboard” that could influence flight operations. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is now suggesting that similar disruptions originating from the ground should also be subject to life sentences.

ALSO READ: PM Modi Highlights India’s Transformative Reforms, Provides Report Card Of 125 Days Of Govt 

Indian airlines have faced an extraordinary 70 bomb threats within a span of six days, with more than 30 threats reported against various flights on Saturday alone. Investigators have revealed that some of the threats this week originated from IP addresses located in London, Germany, Canada, and the United States.