Note found in lavatory before take-off; passengers evacuated, plane moved to isolation bay

A handwritten hijack-threat note found in the lavatory of an Air India flight preparing to depart from Kolkata to Mumbai prompted security checks and a precautionary response, according to multiple Indian outlets. Bhaskar English reports that the discovery triggered standard hijack-threat procedures, with security agencies arriving promptly to conduct checks in line with established SOPs. The incident occurred on a Wednesday morning, and the flight was kept from taking off as authorities reviewed the threat and carried out searches.

Following the note’s discovery, the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, where authorities conducted precautionary inspections consistent with hijack-threat protocols, Bhaskar English notes in its coverage. Passengers were evacuated from the plane as part of the established safety response, with the evacuation occurring shortly before the scheduled departure time. The Kolkata airport director and local officials described the response as coordinated and in keeping with SOPs for hijack-threat scenarios.

India Today corroborates the sequence of events, stating that the Mumbai-bound Air India flight from Kolkata was grounded while security teams assessed the threat and conducted searches. The aircraft was subsequently moved to an isolation bay, and passengers were evacuated as authorities carried out the threat assessment. The outlet also reiterates that the note was found in the lavatory and that the pilot had alerted Air Traffic Control before the investigation continued.

Daijiworld specifies that the note was handwritten and found inside the aircraft at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata prior to the intended departure for Mumbai. The report highlights passenger panic during the initial phase of the investigation and confirms that security measures were implemented, although it does not provide details about injuries, aircraft type, or the final disposition of the flight.

NDTV frames the incident within the broader security environment surrounding Air India operations in the region, noting that the disruption occurred on a Wednesday morning. The flight remained in an isolation bay as authorities conducted searches and evaluated the threat, with passengers evacuated as part of standard hijack-threat procedures. NDTV aligns with other outlets on the basic sequence but does not disclose specifics about the aircraft type or the exact nature of the threat.

The Tribune adds that the hijack-threat note referred to a reference time of 11:10 am, with Vikram Singh, the airport director, confirming the de-boarding of all passengers and the aircraft’s relocation to an isolation bay for inspection and precautionary measures. The report cites the original departure time as 10:20 am and describes the situation as following standard hijack-threat procedures, including the prompt arrival of security agencies and the evacuation process. The Tribune’s account emphasizes the timeline and official confirmations from airport leadership.

صوت الإمارات (Voice of Emirates) summarizes the incident as a security alert in an aircraft lavatory, leading to isolation of the aircraft and evacuation of passengers, but provides limited detail beyond the hijacking-threat framing and the general actions undertaken by authorities. The outlet notes the lack of disclosed passenger, crew, or airline identifiers in the supplied material and does not add new details about the threat’s content or final outcome, keeping with the source material’s conservatism on specifics.