Kolkata, Nov 11: A hijack threat note found inside the lavatory of a Mumbai-bound Air India flight triggered a full security response at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Wednesday, before authorities declared the threat a hoax after detailed checks.

Source: Press Trust of India

According to a statement issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the cabin crew found the note at 10:37 am inside the lavatory of Air India flight AI 2772, an Airbus A320 aircraft with registration VT-TNH operating the Kolkata-Mumbai sector. The flight had been scheduled to depart at 10:20 am.

Source: ANI

Kolkata airport director Vikram Singh told PTI that the note warned the aircraft would be hijacked at 11:10 am. The pilot alerted air traffic control, all 105 passengers who had boarded were deboarded, and the aircraft was taken to an isolation bay as security protocols were activated.

Source: Press Trust of India

Note reportedly written on the toilet mirror

An airport police officer told Hindustan Times that the crew noticed the hijack alert written on a toilet mirror, possibly with lipstick, as the pilot was preparing the aircraft for take-off. CISF personnel, the bomb squad and other security agencies were deployed for a thorough search of the aircraft in line with established procedure.

Source: Hindustan Times via Daily Jagran

After the security agencies completed their checks, airport authorities confirmed the hijack threat was a hoax. Reports said the flight was rescheduled to depart for Mumbai at around 5 pm, several hours behind schedule. Air India had not issued a statement on the incident at the time of the latest reports.

Source: Press Trust of India

Reacting to the incident, West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya told ANI that the government had taken the matter seriously and security agencies were monitoring the situation, asserting that the country's internal security would not be compromised under any circumstances.

Source: ANI