Kolkata: Passengers aboard an IndiGo flight from Phuket were evacuated after a bomb threat message was discovered inside the aircraft shortly after it landed at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Saturday. The incident triggered an extensive security inspection, leaving passengers waiting on the airport tarmac for more than two hours before they were allowed to enter the terminal.

IndiGo flight 6E1494, operated using an Airbus A320neo, arrived in Kolkata at 2.05 pm. The aircraft was approximately 80% occupied at the time of landing. According to officials, cabin crew members discovered a threatening message written on the mirror inside the aircraft’s washroom shortly after the plane arrived.

The discovery prompted an immediate security response, with passengers evacuated as a precaution. The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay, where security personnel conducted a comprehensive search to determine whether the threat was credible.

Passengers were transferred to an IndiGo bus after leaving the aircraft. They remained on the tarmac while security teams carried out their checks and were allowed into the airport terminal only around 4.30 pm.

The incident came just a day after a separate bomb scare at Kolkata airport, raising fresh concerns about security following two consecutive threat-related incidents at the facility.

Threatening message found inside aircraft washroom

The security scare began when cabin crew members spotted a threatening message scrawled on the mirror inside the aircraft’s washroom after the flight landed in Kolkata.

The discovery raised concerns about the possibility of an explosive device on board. Officials initiated precautionary measures, and passengers were evacuated while security personnel began inspecting the aircraft.

The threat was particularly significant because the message was found inside an arriving passenger aircraft rather than in the airport terminal. The circumstances in which the message was written, including when it was placed and who may have been responsible, had not been established in the available information.

Authorities had not disclosed the exact wording of the message or whether it contained any details that could help investigators identify its author.

Passengers evacuated as security checks begin

Following the discovery, passengers were moved out of the aircraft and transferred to an IndiGo bus. The plane was subsequently taken to an isolation bay to allow security personnel to conduct a detailed inspection away from regular airport activity.

The search was intended to establish whether the threat was genuine and whether any suspicious object or explosive material was present. Such precautionary checks are an important part of the response to threats involving aircraft, where passenger safety remains the immediate priority.

Passengers remained on the tarmac while the security operation continued. According to the information available, they were allowed to enter the airport terminal at around 4.30 pm, more than two hours after the aircraft’s arrival at 2.05 pm.

The delay left travellers waiting outside the terminal for an extended period. However, the evacuation and inspection were carried out as precautionary measures following the discovery of the threatening message.

Details about the assistance provided to passengers during the wait, including whether any onward travel arrangements were affected, were not available in the initial account.

Second bomb scare at Kolkata airport in two days

The latest incident occurred a day after another bomb scare at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

On Friday morning, a handwritten note on tissue paper warning of a bomb near a boarding gate was discovered inside a toilet at the airport. The note prompted security agencies to search the airport premises.

Despite the earlier scare, flight operations reportedly continued without disruption. The circumstances surrounding Friday’s message were not detailed in the available information.

The two incidents occurred within a short period, although the available details do not establish whether they were connected. The first threat was reported inside an airport toilet, while the latest message was discovered in the washroom of an arriving IndiGo aircraft.

The difference in locations meant that the latest incident required a security response involving the aircraft itself, including the evacuation of passengers and the movement of the plane to an isolation bay.

Investigation into the latest threat

Officials had not disclosed whether the inspection of IndiGo flight 6E1494 produced any leads or whether investigators had identified the person responsible for writing the message.

The motive behind the threat also remained unclear. It was not immediately known whether the message was intended as a hoax or whether investigators had found any evidence to suggest a credible security risk.

The available information did not confirm the discovery of an explosive device. The aircraft was searched as a precaution after the threatening message was found, and the authorities’ findings would be necessary to establish the nature of the threat.

Investigators may need to examine the circumstances surrounding the message and relevant information from the aircraft and airport to determine how it came to be there. However, no specific investigative findings had been announced in the initial report.

Airport security concerns after back-to-back incidents

The two consecutive bomb scares have drawn attention to the challenges faced by airport security teams in responding to threats involving passenger facilities and aircraft.

Threatening messages can prompt extensive checks even when their credibility has not been established. Security agencies must assess the potential risk before allowing normal procedures to resume, particularly when an aircraft is involved.

In the IndiGo incident, the discovery of the message led to the evacuation of passengers, the isolation of the aircraft and a comprehensive security inspection. Although the operation delayed passengers’ entry into the terminal, the measures were intended to address the potential threat before the situation could be declared safe.

The incident also highlights the importance of reporting suspicious messages immediately and following established safety procedures. Cabin crew members’ discovery of the writing prompted the response that led to the aircraft being searched.

As of the initial report, key questions remained unanswered, including who wrote the message, whether the latest incident was connected to Friday’s airport scare and what conclusions security personnel reached after the inspection.

The investigation into the threat aboard IndiGo flight 6E1494 remained unresolved in the available information. Further details from the authorities would be needed to clarify the circumstances behind the message and establish whether any additional security concerns remained.