For the 92 passengers aboard an Air India flight at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, Wednesday morning began with the standard rhythms of air travel. The flight, bound for Mumbai, was scheduled for departure at 10:20 am. But as the final preparations for takeoff were underway, the routine was shattered by the discovery of a handwritten note. Tucked away in the privacy of the aircraft’s lavatory, the message contained a specific and alarming claim: the aircraft was to be hijacked at 11:10 am.
In the high-pressure environment of modern aviation, the discovery of such a threat triggers a cascade of pre-planned responses. Upon being alerted to the note, the flight’s pilot immediately contacted Air Traffic Control. This communication is the critical first step in a security protocol designed to isolate a potential threat before it can manifest. The decision was made to halt the flight’s departure, effectively grounding the aircraft before it could leave the tarmac.
Air India flight to Kolkata grounded at airport after hijack threat triggers security alert https://t.co/oq4L5DO0p9
Once the threat was verified, the airport’s operational focus shifted to containment. Kolkata Airport Director Vikram Singh confirmed the sequence of events that followed the pilot’s alert. "All passengers who had boarded the aircraft were deboarded, and the plane was moved to the airport’s isolation bay for a thorough security inspection and other precautionary measures," Singh stated. The isolation bay acts as a designated safety zone, far removed from the main terminal and other aircraft, ensuring that if a threat were to materialize, the impact would be contained.
With the passengers safely off the plane, the scene was turned over to specialized security forces.
With the passengers safely off the plane, the scene was turned over to specialized security forces. Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and airport security teams began a meticulous search of the aircraft. Their objective was to ensure that the threat was not merely a note, but a precursor to a physical danger. Every corner of the cabin, the cargo hold, and the flight deck was scrutinized. While the search was intense and exhaustive, authorities reported that no suspicious items were found on board.
Hijack alert on Air India flight before take-off from Kolkata WATCH: https://t.co/W2iLm5TWxv
While the physical search of the aircraft was underway, investigators began the process of tracing the source of the threat. Police officers were tasked with reviewing CCTV footage from both the airport terminal and the interior of the plane. The goal was to identify who might have entered the lavatory and left the note, a task that requires piecing together the movements of passengers and crew in the minutes leading up to the discovery. This investigation remains a critical component of the response, as authorities work to determine whether the note was a genuine attempt at sabotage or a malicious hoax.
This incident does not exist in a vacuum. The security environment at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport has been on high alert recently, with this latest scare following two previous hoax bomb threats that occurred at the same facility in late October. These repeated disruptions highlight the ongoing challenges faced by airport security, where every threat—no matter how unlikely—must be treated with the utmost seriousness. As the investigation continues, the flight remains grounded, and the security protocols that define modern air travel remain firmly in place, prioritizing the safety of the 92 passengers over the convenience of the schedule.
Hijack Threat on Mumbai-Bound Air India Flight Triggers Security Alert at Kolkata Airport Hijack warning was found written on the mirror of aircraft's lavatory All 93 passengers were evacuated. #HijackThreat #AirIndia #Kolkata #kolkataairport https://t.co/ChjQlHkfIB