Kolkata Airport News: Mumbai-Bound Air India Flight Isolated Over Hijack Threat
Kolkata Airport News
A Mumbai-bound Air India flight was grounded and moved to an isolation bay at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Wednesday morning after a suspected hijack threat triggered a high-level security alert. Security agencies immediately cordoned off the Airbus A320neo aircraft and conducted thorough precautionary inspections under standard aviation safety protocols.
The incident occurred around 10:20 AM to 10:37 AM, just moments before the flight (identified in official airport statements as AI 2772, and initially reported as AI 772) was scheduled to depart for Mumbai. While preparing for takeoff, cabin crew members noticed a threatening message written on a lavatory mirror inside the plane.
- Nature of the Warning: The note—reportedly written with lipstick—warned that the aircraft would be hijacked at 11:10 AM.
- Immediate Pilot Action: Upon being alerted by the crew, the captain immediately notified Air Traffic Control (ATC), initiating emergency response procedures.
Following established Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) guidelines, the aircraft was quickly taxiing away from regular terminal operations into a secure isolation bay.
Kolkata Airport Director Vikram Singh confirmed that all passengers were safely offloaded before security teams surrounded and searched the aircraft.
After several hours of exhaustive checks by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and bomb squads, officials found nothing suspicious on board. Authorities subsequently declared the hijack warning a hoax.
Once the aircraft received full security clearance, passengers re-boarded, and the flight finally departed Kolkata for Mumbai at 5:38 PM—roughly seven hours behind schedule. Police and aviation authorities have launched an investigation to question passengers and identify the individual responsible for leaving the false threat note.
Ajeet Yadav is an aviation enthusiast covering airline news, airports, aircraft, and industry developments through well-researched and reliable reporting.
