Bomb threat on IndiGo Phuket-Kolkata flight, message found on washroom mirror
Synopsis
Two bomb threats in under 48 hours at Kolkata's NSCBI Airport — first on a tissue paper in the women's restroom, then on a washroom mirror aboard an IndiGo flight from Phuket — both turned out to be hoaxes, but not before hundreds were left stranded and security forces spent hours searching. The back-to-back scares point to a deliberate campaign to spread panic, and investigators are now combing CCTV footage and passenger lists.
Key Takeaways
IndiGo flight 6E1494 from Phuket landed at NSCBI Airport, Kolkata at 2:05 pm on 24 October 2026 with a bomb threat written on the washroom mirror.
Passengers were evacuated to the tarmac and held for nearly two hours ; the terminal was accessible only from 4:30 pm onwards.
A sweep by CISF , the Bomb Squad , and Airport Police found nothing suspicious aboard the aircraft.
The incident followed a similar hoax on Friday, 23 October , when a handwritten threat was found in the airport's women's restroom near Gate Number 30 — that search also yielded nothing.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage and the passenger list to identify who wrote the message; no arrests have been reported.
A bomb threat scrawled on the washroom mirror of IndiGo flight 6E1494, arriving from Phuket, Thailand, triggered an extensive security sweep at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport on Saturday, 24 October 2026, leaving passengers stranded on the tarmac for nearly two hours, airport officials said. The incident is the second bomb threat at the same airport in as many days, raising serious questions about a pattern of hoax alerts designed to spread panic.
How the Threat Was Discovered
Flight 6E1494, which was carrying approximately 8.80 per cent of its passenger capacity, touched down at NSCBI Airport at 2:05 pm on Saturday. Shortly after landing, cabin crew discovered a threatening message written directly on the mirror inside the aircraft's toilet. The crew immediately alerted the pilot and airport security, triggering the standard bomb-threat protocol.
Passengers were swiftly evacuated from the aircraft and directed to wait on the tarmac while the plane was moved to an isolation bay for a thorough sweep. The search — conducted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Bomb Squad, and Airport Police — stretched for more than two hours before passengers were permitted to enter the terminal at around 4:30 pm.
What Investigators Found — and Didn't
'The matter was immediately reported to the pilot and airport security officials. Within moments, the plane was taken to the isolation bay. The passengers were safely de-boarded and a search was started by CISF, Bomb Squad and Airport Police. However, despite a long search, nothing suspicious was recovered from inside the plane. Initial speculation is that someone did this to spread panic,' an airport official said.
Police are now examining the passenger list and CCTV footage from inside the aircraft in an effort to identify who wrote the message, according to officials.
The Previous Day's Threat at NSCBI Airport
Saturday's incident came just 24 hours after a separate bomb threat was discovered at NSCBI Airport on Friday, 23 October 2026. Cleaning staff reportedly found a handwritten note in the women's restroom warning that a bomb had been planted at Gate Number 30. Workers alerted supervisors, security personnel cleared the area, and the Bomb Squad along with CISF and Airport Police Station — which falls under the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar City Police in North 24 Parganas district — conducted a full sweep. Nothing suspicious was recovered in that search either.
A Worrying Pattern of Hoax Alerts
Two consecutive bomb threats at the same airport in under 48 hours, both yielding no explosive devices, points to a deliberate attempt to disrupt operations and instil fear. Aviation security experts have previously noted that repeated hoax threats strain resources, desensitise responders over time, and impose significant costs on airlines and passengers alike. Notably, Indian aviation has seen a sharp spike in bomb-threat hoaxes in recent months, prompting airlines and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to call for stricter consequences for perpetrators.
Authorities are yet to announce any arrests in connection with either incident. Investigations remain ongoing.
Point of View
And the authorities need to treat it as one. The absence of any device each time should not breed complacency; repeat hoaxes are a textbook tactic to test response protocols and erode vigilance. What is missing from the official response so far is any public signal that consequences for making false threats will be swift and severe. India's aviation sector has logged a notable rise in hoax threats in recent months, yet deterrence has not kept pace. If CCTV and passenger-list scrutiny do not yield arrests and prosecutions within days, the cycle will almost certainly repeat.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on the IndiGo flight from Phuket to Kolkata on 24 October 2026?
A bomb threat was found written on the washroom mirror of IndiGo flight 6E1494 shortly after it landed at Kolkata's NSCBI Airport at 2:05 pm on 24 October 2026. Passengers were evacuated to the tarmac, and a security sweep lasting over two hours found nothing suspicious.
Was any explosive device found on the IndiGo aircraft?
No. After an extensive search by the CISF, Bomb Squad, and Airport Police, nothing suspicious was recovered from the aircraft. Officials stated that initial speculation is that the threat was written to spread panic.
Was this the first bomb threat at Kolkata airport recently?
No, it was the second in two days. On Friday, 23 October 2026, cleaning staff found a handwritten note on tissue paper in the women's restroom at NSCBI Airport warning of a bomb at Gate Number 30. That search also turned up nothing.
Who is investigating the bomb threat on the IndiGo flight?
The Airport Police, CISF, and Bomb Squad conducted the physical search. Police are now examining CCTV footage of the aircraft and the passenger list to identify who wrote the threatening message. No arrests have been announced yet.
How many passengers were on the flight when the threat was found?
Flight 6E1494 was operating at approximately 8.80 per cent of its passenger capacity at the time of landing, according to airport officials.
