A bomb threat discovered on a Shillong-bound IndiGo flight at Kolkata airport led to the aircraft being moved to an isolation bay for security checks, causing disruption and heightened security measures.
IMAGE: The passengers were safely deboarded, and the aircraft was moved to the isolation bay. Photograph: ANI on X
Key Points
- The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for thorough security checks and precautionary measures.
- Airport authorities are conducting a comprehensive search of the aircraft following standard operating procedures.
- The bomb threat was discovered by a crew member before passengers boarded the flight.
A Shillong-bound aircraft was stranded at Kolkata airport for around four hours on Saturday following a bomb threat, an official statement said.
The IndiGo flight 6E 7304 was moved to the isolation bay after the discovery of a handwritten note claiming that a bomb had been placed on the plane, it said.
The threat, however, later turned out to be a hoax, and the flight left for its destination at 1.33 pm following a thorough search as per standard security protocols.
An Airports Authority of India spokesperson said the note was discovered in the lavatory by one of the crew members around 9.15 am, around 15 minutes before its scheduled departure time.
Some of the 60 passengers had already boarded the plane.
The passengers were safely deboarded, and the aircraft was moved to the isolation bay. Standard security protocols were followed and a thorough inspection was conducted by the agencies concerned, he said.
Upon completion of all safety checks and clearance by security authorities, the aircraft was declared safe for operations, the AAI spokesperson added.
