Hijack threat note found on Kolkata-Mumbai Air India flight turns out to be a hoax

PTI, Nov 11, 2026, Kolkata: A hijack threat note found in the washroom of a Mumbai-bound Air India flight before take-off on Wednesday morning prompted security officials to park the aircraft in an isolation bay of the airport here, an official said. However, later in the day, an official said that the threat turned out to be a hoax.

The flight was scheduled to depart at 10.20 am. The note threatening that the plane would be hijacked at 11.10 am was found in the washroom just before take-off, said Vikram Singh, the director of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.

All 105 passengers in the aircraft were deboarded, and it was taken to the isolation bay, he said.

According to an official statement, the hijack note was found by the cabin crew inside the lavatory of Air India flight AI 2772, at 10.37 am.

"The aircraft had 105 passengers on board when the note was detected. Necessary checks were underway by the agencies concerned," it said.

However, the said flight AI 2772 departed at 5.38 pm after necessary checks as per protocol, authorities at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport said.

Air India is yet to issue a statement on the matter.