A Mumbai-bound Air India aircraft has been grounded under emergency conditions at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport after a handwritten hijack threat was uncovered inside one of the aircraft’s lavatories, NDTV reports.
Panic broke out across the airport on Wednesday morning as the aircraft, taxiing and preparing for take-off, was abruptly halted.
Sources told NDTV that the threatening message, warning of a potential hijacking, was scrawled directly onto a lavatory mirror.
Upon being informed of the threat, the flight’s captain immediately contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) to sound the alert.
In accordance with established emergency aviation protocols, the aircraft was directed to an isolation bay away from the active runways and the main terminal.
Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), alongside specialised airport security units, swiftly deployed to the scene and initiated an intensive search operation.
Every section of the airframe, cabin, and cargo hold is undergoing rigorous inspection to identify any suspicious objects or explosive devices.
A multi-agency investigation is currently under way to establish the origin of the message and identify the perpetrator.
Investigators from the local police and intelligence units are scrutinising CCTV footage from inside the aircraft cabin as well as across the terminal premises.