A passenger was apprehended after a handwritten hijack threat found inside an Air India aircraft at Kolkata airport triggered mandatory security checks and delayed the Kolkata-Mumbai flight by more than seven hours, officials said. The aircraft eventually departed after authorities declared the threat a hoax.
The incident involved Air India flight AI 2772, which was scheduled to leave Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport for Mumbai at around 10.30am on Wednesday. According to the Airports Authority of India, a cabin crew member found the note inside the aircraft’s lavatory at approximately 10.37am.
The note warned that the aircraft would be hijacked at 11.10am, prompting airport security agencies to begin prescribed safety procedures. All 105 passengers on board were deboarded while the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for a thorough security inspection, the AAI said in a release.
The security response meant that passengers could not remain on board while checks were conducted. The flight finally departed for Mumbai at 5.38pm, several hours after its scheduled departure time, following the completion of the prescribed procedures.
The AAI said a passenger was apprehended in connection with the incident and handed over to the Airport Police Station at the airport. The agency did not identify the passenger or provide details of the alleged motive in the information cited in the report.
The threat was subsequently declared a hoax. The incident nevertheless activated the airport’s established response for a possible security threat, including the removal of passengers, isolation of the aircraft and a detailed inspection before departure.
The episode highlights how even an unverified written threat can interrupt airport operations and delay an entire aircraft movement while security agencies establish that no danger remains. In this case, the delay affected a scheduled intercity service between Kolkata and Mumbai, one of the country’s busiest domestic air routes.
The passenger has been handed over to airport police for further action. The AAI’s release did not provide details of any charges or the next stage of the investigation.
