A threatening message discovered in the aircraft’s lavatory prompted the evacuation of 93 passengers and five crew members from the Mumbai-bound flight as security agencies launched a thorough inspection.
Kolkata: A Mumbai-bound Air India flight was taken to an isolation bay at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Wednesday morning after a handwritten hijack threat was discovered inside the aircraft’s washroom, triggering security protocols and an investigation.
The flight, AI 772, operated by an Airbus A320neo, was scheduled to depart for Mumbai at 10.20 am. The threatening message, found on the mirror inside the aircraft’s lavatory shortly before departure, warned that the plane would be hijacked at 11.10 am, Kolkata airport director Vikram Singh said.
According to reports, the pilot alerted Air Traffic Control (ATC) after the threat came to light. Airport authorities subsequently ordered all passengers to disembark and moved the aircraft to an isolation bay for a detailed security inspection. The flight had 93 passengers and five crew members on board, according to reports.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), along with specialised airport security personnel, initiated a search of the aircraft to check for any suspicious objects or potential security risks. Security agencies and police have also begun investigating the incident to identify the person responsible for writing the threat message. Officials have not reported any suspicious object or confirmed that the threat was credible as of now.
The Kolkata incident comes days after a Bengaluru-Lucknow IndiGo flight was forced to return to Kempegowda International Airport following the discovery of a handwritten hijack threat inside its toilet.
IndiGo flight 6E451, carrying 178 passengers, had departed Bengaluru at 5.50 pm when a passenger reportedly spotted a note warning that the aircraft would be hijacked at 6.30 pm.
The passenger alerted the cabin crew, following which the pilot informed ATC and decided to return to Bengaluru as a precaution. After the aircraft landed, all passengers were deboarded and security personnel conducted a thorough inspection.
The two incidents have prompted security responses at airports in Bengaluru and Kolkata, with investigations underway to establish the origins of the threatening messages.
