Hijack threat found in lavatory of Mumbai-bound Air India flight at Kolkata; passengers deboarded

A security alert interrupted a Mumbai-bound Air India service at Kolkata airport on Wednesday morning after a hijack warning was discovered in an aircraft washroom. Travellers who had already boarded were asked to leave the plane. The aircraft was subsequently shifted away from the regular operating area for security checks.

Airport activates security procedures

Airport director Vikram Singh said the warning referred to a hijacking at 11.10am. Security procedures were initiated after its discovery, and the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for inspection. The available account does not establish whether investigators considered the warning credible.

The incident occurred before the scheduled departure. Details concerning the form of the warning remain inconsistent: it has been described both as a note and as writing on a washroom mirror. The information available does not resolve that difference, and neither description establishes who was responsible.

Further information awaited

No inspection findings or subsequent departure information are established in the material available for this report. It therefore remains unclear whether the service eventually operated, faced a longer delay or was cancelled. A confirmed passenger total is also unavailable here.

The security response and removal of passengers are separate from any conclusion about the threat itself. Further information from the airline or airport authorities would be needed to explain the outcome of the checks and the arrangements made for affected travellers.