Hijack threat on Mumbai-bound Air India flight at Kolkata Airport, search on
Synopsis
A hijack note found in an aircraft toilet brought a Mumbai-bound Air India flight with 92 passengers to a standstill at Kolkata Airport on 11 November — the third major security scare at the same airport in under three weeks, following two hoax bomb threats in late October.
Key Takeaways
A Mumbai-bound Air India flight carrying 92 passengers received a hijack threat at Kolkata Airport on 11 November .
A note warning of a hijacking was reportedly found in the aircraft's toilet and brought to the pilot's attention.
The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay ; all passengers were disembarked and taken to safety.
An intensive search was underway; nothing suspicious had been detected as of the latest available information.
The incident follows two hoax bomb threats at the same airport on 23 and 24 October , both of which turned out to be false alarms.
A Mumbai-bound Air India flight at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata received a hijack threat on Wednesday, 11 November, triggering an immediate security response and forcing authorities to move the aircraft to an isolation bay, officials said. The plane, carrying 92 passengers, was preparing for take-off when the threat was reported to the pilot.
How the Threat Was Discovered
According to initial information, a note warning that the plane would be hijacked was reportedly found in one of the aircraft's toilets. The person who noticed it alerted the crew, and the pilot promptly informed Air Traffic Control (ATC). Acting on ATC instructions, the pilot moved the aircraft to an isolation bay before take-off could proceed.
Passenger Evacuation and Search Operations
All 92 passengers were disembarked from the aircraft and escorted to a safe location. Security personnel launched an intensive search of the plane. As per the latest information available, nothing suspicious had been detected at the time of reporting. Eyewitness accounts described passengers as visibly terrified, with panic evident on their faces following the sudden turn of events.
Airport Authorities Yet to Issue Official Statement
The airport authorities had not issued any official statement on the matter as of the time of publication, according to officials. Sources confirmed the sequence of events but no formal communication had come from the airport or the airline at that stage.
Pattern of Threat Calls at Kolkata Airport
This incident comes amid a troubling pattern of security threats at Kolkata Airport in recent weeks. On 23 October, a bomb threat written on tissue paper was found at the airport. The very next day, on 24 October, a bomb threat written on a washroom mirror aboard an IndiGo flight from Phuket, Thailand, to Kolkata prompted an extensive security check. In both cases, the alerts were found to be hoaxes and nothing suspicious was detected. Wednesday's hijack threat is the third such security scare at the airport in under three weeks, raising fresh questions about the adequacy of deterrence measures against repeat threat actors.
Point of View
An emboldened individual, or a systemic gap in deterrence. The absence of an official airport statement hours into the incident is itself a governance concern: transparent, timely communication is a core part of aviation security doctrine. Authorities must ask not just whether this specific threat is real, but why Kolkata Airport has become a repeated target — and what consequence, if any, the previous hoax callers faced.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the Air India flight at Kolkata Airport on 11 November?
A Mumbai-bound Air India flight carrying 92 passengers received a hijack threat at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on 11 November. The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay, passengers were disembarked, and a security search was launched.
How was the hijack threat discovered?
A note warning that the plane would be hijacked was reportedly found in one of the aircraft's toilets. The person who found it alerted the crew, and the pilot immediately informed Air Traffic Control before moving the plane to an isolation bay as instructed.
Were any suspicious items found on the Air India flight?
As per the latest information available at the time of reporting, nothing suspicious had been detected during the search. Security personnel were still conducting operations on the aircraft.
Has Kolkata Airport faced similar threats before?
Yes. On 23 October, a bomb threat written on tissue paper was found at the airport. On 24 October, a bomb threat was written on the washroom mirror of an IndiGo flight arriving from Phuket. Both were found to be hoaxes after extensive searches.
What action was taken for the 92 passengers on board?
All 92 passengers were disembarked from the aircraft and escorted to a safe location as a precautionary measure. Eyewitness accounts described passengers as visibly shaken and panicked by the incident.
