Fox On Runway! IndiGo Flight Aborts Landing At Kolkata Airport, Diverted To Durgapur

An IndiGo flight en route from Chennai to Kolkata diverted to Andal Airport in Durgapur after a fox was spotted on the runway at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. The pilot alerted Air Traffic Control and a go-around was executed before the decision to divert.

ATC instructed the aircraft to abort its landing approach following the wildlife sighting, and the flight landed safely at Andal Airport. The incident occurred as the aircraft was approaching Kolkata for landing.

The diversion was part of a broader set of security and safety concerns reported at Kolkata Airport on the same day, including a separate hijack-threat hoax that prompted a security response. The hijack threat involved a message found in a lavatory on another aircraft and led to an isolation and inspection process.

Air traffic and security authorities conducted standard responses to both events, with rapid coordination between the flight crew, ATC, and security personnel. The two incidents were described as unrelated but contributed to a notably eventful day at Kolkata Airport.

No injuries, aircraft details beyond the operator and route, or outcomes beyond the diversion and safe landing at an alternate airport are established in the material. The report emphasizes the unusual wildlife risk on the runway and the subsequent security checks following the hoax threat.