Kolkata: A Mumbai-bound Air India flight was grounded at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Wednesday, November 11, after its pilot informed Air Traffic Control (ATC) about a suspected hijack threat received through a handwritten paper note found inside the aircraft.
Following the alert, all passengers were de-boarded and the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for a detailed security inspection. Security agencies initiated checks to establish the authenticity of the threat and ensure the safety of everyone on board.
According to sources, the threat note was discovered inside the aircraft’s lavatory before the flight could take off. The flight crew subsequently alerted the ATC tower about the message, triggering the security response.
Note warned of hijack at 11.10 am
The note reportedly stated that the aircraft would be hijacked at 11.10 am, according to Vikram Singh, director of Kolkata airport, as reported by news agency PTI.
The discovery prompted the flight crew to immediately inform the airport’s air traffic control authorities.
An airport official confirmed the incident and said the Kolkata-Mumbai flight was scheduled to depart at 10.20 am on Wednesday.
However, following the threat alert, the aircraft was prevented from taking off and the passengers were asked to disembark as a precautionary measure.
Aircraft moved to isolation bay
After the passengers were de-boarded, the aircraft was taken to an isolation bay, where security authorities began a thorough inspection.
The security checks were aimed at determining whether there was any substance to the threat mentioned in the note and ensuring that no suspicious object or potential danger remained inside the aircraft.
The discovery of the message in the lavatory and the subsequent alert from the flight crew led to the implementation of security procedures.
Further details regarding the identity of the person who left the note and the outcome of the inspection were not immediately available.
Earlier bomb threat on IndiGo flight
The latest incident comes weeks after a similar security alert involving an IndiGo flight scheduled to operate from Delhi to Chennai on October 23.
The aircraft, operating as flight 6E 6091, had pushed back from its parking bay and was preparing for take-off when the crew discovered a threat message in the rear lavatory.
The note reportedly warned against proceeding with the journey, prompting the aircraft to return to the bay at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Following the incident, the airline and security authorities initiated the prescribed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), including necessary security checks.
The threat was subsequently declared a hoax by the authorities.
Security checks follow repeated threat alerts
The two incidents have once again highlighted the security challenges faced by airlines and airport authorities following threats communicated through messages left inside aircraft lavatories.
Such alerts require immediate precautionary action, including passenger evacuation when necessary, aircraft isolation and detailed inspections by security personnel.
In the Kolkata incident, the discovery of the alleged hijack threat before take-off enabled the crew to alert airport authorities and initiate the required response.
The security inspection and further investigation are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the threat note.