India To Address Security Concerns For Air India Flights Amid Threats By SFJ In Canada

Concerning the threats that the secessionist organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) poses to Air India flights to and from Canada, India will work with Canadian authorities to request more security measures for the airline.

The general counsel of SFJ, Gurpatwant Pannun, made the threat public on Saturday through a video release. Speaking in Punjabi, Pannun warned Sikhs in the video, saying, "Don't fly Air India after November 19, your lives may be in danger." Two times, this statement was made. Pannun released a statement demanding a "global blockade" of the airline from Vancouver to London in addition to the video.

India's High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, stated in response to a question from the Hindustan Times, "We shall take up the threat against Air India flights originating from and terminating in Canada with the concerned Canadian authorities."

Currentiy, Air India offers multiple weekly direct flights between New Delhi and Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver.

The video content, according to Verma, blatantly violates the Chicago Convention, which creates the guidelines for international civil aviation operations. Among the other countries that are parties to this convention are Canada and India. Additionally, he underlined that such threats are addressed in the bilateral civil aviation agreement between Canada and India.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the 1944 Chicago Convention, also called the Convention on International Civil Aviation, is a foundational document that establishes important guidelines governing international air transport.

The threat to Air India is evocative of the circumstances that preceded the greatest act of terrorism in Canadian history. 329 people lost their lives when terrorists from Khalistani province attacked Air India Flight 182, popularly known as the Kanishka, on June 23, 1985. Furthermore, a separate bomb explosion on another aircraft claimed the lives of two baggage handlers at Tokyo's Narita airport.

In Canada, this tragic event is commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance for Terrorist Victims. Nonetheless, extremist organizations still pay tribute to Talwinder Singh Parmar, who is thought to have planned the attack. At the Toronto memorial for the victims of the Air India terror attack, pro-Khalistan activists organized a rally in his honor in June of this year. This history highlights the importance of taking preventative security measures and the gravity of any threats against Air India flights in Canada.