The government is set to impose tougher penalties including life imprisonment and placing offenders on the no-fly list for making false bomb threats against domestic airlines, as part of a broader crackdown on aviation security.

Civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu said Monday that the government is weighing amendments to aviation security regulations and the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982, which may include stiffer prison sentences and heftier fines.

“Passenger safety is paramount, and these threats will not be tolerated,” Naidu told reporters at a briefing in New Delhi.

The ministry of civil aviation has proposed prison terms ranging from a minimum of five years to life imprisonment for individuals guilty of issuing hoax threats, according to a senior ministry official.

“We’ve suggested tougher penalties as a deterrent because existing aviation security laws don’t adequately cover these situations,” the official said.

The 1982 law, which already criminalises acts like damaging air navigation systems, committing violence on board an aircraft, and making false claims that could jeopardise flight safety, is slated for revision.

In just the past week, nearly 100 flights operated by Indian airlines have been subject to bomb threats.