KOLKATA — A Mumbai-bound Air India flight was moved 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 shortly before its scheduled departure, prompting an immediate security response.
The threatening message was found on a mirror inside one of the aircraft's lavatories as Flight AI 772 was preparing to depart for Mumbai. The discovery led the pilot to alert Air Traffic Control, following which airport authorities activated security protocols.
According to Kolkata airport director Vikram Singh, the flight was scheduled to depart at 10.20 am on November 11. The message warned that the aircraft would be hijacked at 11.10 am.
All passengers who had boarded the aircraft were safely deboarded, and the plane was subsequently moved to a designated isolation bay for a detailed security inspection.
Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), along with specialised airport security teams, were deployed to examine the aircraft for suspicious objects or materials.
Security agencies also initiated an investigation to establish who had written the message and whether it represented a credible threat. Investigators began examining CCTV footage from the airport and aircraft as part of efforts to identify those responsible.
The incident triggered a security alert at one of eastern India's busiest airports, with precautionary measures implemented before the aircraft could proceed with its scheduled departure.
Authorities had not confirmed the identity of the person responsible for the message or established whether the threat was genuine. The outcome of the security inspection and the revised departure schedule were not immediately available.
The incident remains under investigation.
