A hijack threat aboard a Mumbai-bound Air India flight at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport triggered a security alert on Wednesday morning, prompting authorities to evacuate all 105 passengers and move the aircraft to an isolation bay before the threat was declared a hoax, officials said.
Air India flight AI 2772 was originally scheduled to depart at around 10.30 am but was delayed after cabin crew discovered a note inside the aircraft's lavatory warning that the plane would be hijacked at 11.10 am.
Kolkata Airport Director Vikram Singh said the threatening note was discovered shortly before take-off, following which airport security personnel initiated the prescribed safety procedures.
All 105 passengers on board were deboarded as a precautionary measure, and the aircraft was shifted to an isolation bay for detailed security checks.
According to an official statement, the cabin crew detected the note at approximately 10.37 am.
"The aircraft had 105 passengers on board when the note was detected," the statement said.
Security officials subsequently conducted the necessary checks in accordance with established protocols. The threat was eventually determined to be a hoax.
Airport authorities said the flight was expected to depart at around 5 pm after completion of the mandatory inspections and clearance procedures.
The incident resulted in a delay of more than six hours for passengers travelling from Kolkata to Mumbai.
Officials did not immediately provide details about the origin of the threatening note or the person responsible for placing it inside the aircraft.
Air India had not issued an official statement on the incident at the time of reporting.