Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Nov 11: Panic gripped Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Wednesday morning after a handwritten hijack threat was discovered inside an Air India aircraft scheduled to fly to Mumbai.

The threat note, found in the aircraft's lavatory before take-off, prompted an immediate security alert. The flight, AI 2772, was preparing for departure when the message referring to a possible hijacking was noticed. The pilot promptly informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC).

Following the alert, all passengers were deboarded as a precautionary measure, and the aircraft was shifted to an isolation bay for a detailed security inspection. Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and specialised airport security teams carried out an extensive search of the aircraft. No suspicious object has been detected so far.

Police and security agencies have launched an investigation to identify the person responsible for writing the threat message. Authorities are examining the passenger manifest and CCTV footage from the airport premises and aircraft as part of the probe.

This is not the first such incident reported at Kolkata airport in recent weeks. In October, a full emergency was declared after the words "Bomb inside aircraft" were found written on the mirror of a lavatory in a flight arriving from Phuket. The message was noticed by cabin crew members while cleaning the aircraft after landing.

In a similar incident on November 7, a Bengaluru-Lucknow IndiGo flight carrying 178 passengers returned to Kempegowda International Airport after a handwritten hijack threat was discovered in the aircraft's lavatory shortly after take-off.

The pilots immediately turned the aircraft back to Bengaluru and informed the authorities, following standard security procedures. A full emergency was declared at the airport, and the aircraft was subjected to security checks.

IndiGo said the relevant authorities were informed immediately and that the flight would resume its journey after receiving the necessary clearances. The airline also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers and said arrangements had been made to provide refreshments and regular updates.