Passenger held over hoax hijack threat on Kolkata-Mumbai Air India flight
Handwritten threat note found in aircraft's lavatory delayed flight by over seven hours; all 105 passengers were deboarded as security checks were carried out
Kolkata, Nov 12 (PTI) A passenger was apprehended and handed over to the airport police in connection with a hoax hijack threat to an Air India flight from Kolkata to Mumbai, officials said on Thursday.
In a release, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the action was taken over Wednesday's incident involving Air India flight AI 2772, which was delayed for several hours after a handwritten threat note was found inside the aircraft's lavatory before take-off.
The passenger was handed over to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport Police Station, it said.
The note, warning that the aircraft would be hijacked at 11.10 am on Wednesday, was discovered by a cabin crew member around 10.37 am, prompting security agencies to initiate mandatory safety checks.
All 105 passengers on board were deboarded, and the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for thorough security checks.
The flight, originally scheduled to depart around 10.30 am, eventually left for Mumbai at 5.38 pm, after the authorities completed the prescribed security procedures.
The threat was subsequently declared a hoax. PTI