Hijack Threat Note on Air India Flight in Kolkata Turns Out to Be a Hoax

November 11, 2026 Faizan Altaf

A hijack threat note found in the washroom of a Mumbai-bound Air India flight in Kolkata turned out to be a hoax on Wednesday, 11 November 2026 — but not before it grounded the plane for nearly seven hours, forced more than 100 passengers off the aircraft, and triggered a full security operation at one of India’s busiest airports.

The flight, Air India AI 2772, was minutes away from take-off from Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport when cabin crew found the note. It warned that the plane would be hijacked at 11.10 am. Within minutes, the pilot had alerted air traffic control, the passengers had been taken off, and the Airbus A320 had been moved to an isolation bay for a detailed security search.

By the evening, the checks were over, the threat had been declared a hoax, and the aircraft finally took off at 5.38 pm — almost seven hours late. No one was hurt. But the scare is the second hijack hoax to hit an Indian airline in less than a week, and it has raised fresh questions about a wave of false threats that is disrupting flights, schools and airports.

What happened on flight AI 2772

Here is what happened, step by step, based on statements from Kolkata airport and Indian media reports.

10.20 am — scheduled departure. Air India flight AI 2772, an Airbus A320 with registration VT-TNH, was due to fly from Kolkata (CCU) to Mumbai (BOM). The aircraft was preparing for take-off, with passengers already on board.

10.37 am — the note is found. Cabin crew found a hijack note inside the aircraft’s lavatory. The note warned that the aircraft would be hijacked at 11.10 am. Kolkata airport director Vikram Singh confirmed the discovery and the wording of the threat.

Minutes later — the alarm is raised. The pilot alerted air traffic control. Airport authorities activated security protocols at once. All 105 passengers who had boarded the aircraft were taken off, and the plane was moved to the airport’s isolation bay. Early reports had put the number on board at 93 passengers and five crew members; the airport director later said 105 passengers had boarded.

The security search. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and specialised airport security staff launched an intensive search of the aircraft, checking it for any suspicious items. This kind of check is known as an anti-sabotage sweep, and it is carried out under procedures set by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), India’s aviation security regulator.

5.38 pm — the flight finally leaves. After the checks were completed, the authorities established that the threat was a hoax and cleared the aircraft to fly. The flight took off for Mumbai nearly seven hours behind schedule.

Air India had not issued an official statement about the incident at the time of reporting. The airport said in a statement: “At 1037 hrs today, a hijack note was found by the cabin crew inside the lavatory of Air India flight AI 2772 (A320, registration VT-TNH), operating on the Kolkata (CCU) – Mumbai (BOM) sector at NSCBI Airport, Kolkata.”

Authorities are now investigating who left the note and how it got onto the aircraft. Some early reports also said officials were examining whether the hijack alert itself was triggered by a technical fault, but the airport’s account is clear: a note was found, and the crew acted on it.

What is an isolation bay, and why does a note ground a plane for seven hours?

When a threat is reported on an aircraft, airlines and airports do not take chances. The plane is moved away from other aircraft, terminals and people to a remote parking spot called an isolation bay. Passengers are taken off, luggage is checked again, and security teams search the aircraft from nose to tail.

The reason the process takes hours is simple: a threat cannot be dismissed until every part of the plane has been checked. Security staff look for explosives, weapons and anything else that should not be there. They also check the baggage hold, the cargo and the passengers’ luggage. Until that work is finished, the aircraft cannot fly — even if everyone involved suspects the threat is false.

This is why a single piece of paper can delay hundreds of people, disrupt connecting flights and cost an airline a large sum of money. The delay to AI 2772 was about seven hours. Passengers missed onward connections in Mumbai, the aircraft missed its next scheduled flights, and the airline had to rearrange crews and planes.

A worrying pattern: the second hijack hoax in less than a week

The Kolkata scare is not an isolated case. Just four days earlier, on 7 November, a hijack threat note forced an IndiGo flight to return to Bengaluru. That threat was also later declared a hoax. Two hijack hoaxes in less than a week, on two different airlines, is unusual — and it comes against a wider background of false threats.

On the same day as the Kolkata incident, 11 November, a hoax targeted 6,300 schools in Italy, as fake bomb alerts spread across Europe. India has also seen repeated waves of hoax bomb threats against schools, flights and airports in recent years. Each one forces the same response: evacuations, searches, delays and disruption — even when nothing dangerous is ever found.

The pattern matters because it shows how cheap and easy a hoax is to carry out, and how expensive it is to deal with. A note left in a washroom, an email, or a phone call can shut down an airport operation for hours. The people who make these threats often face little risk of being caught quickly, but the cost falls on passengers, airlines and the police.

The law: in India, a hijack hoax can mean life in prison

Many people may not realise how seriously Indian law treats a hijack threat — even a false one. Under the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, a person is treated as having committed hijacking if they make a threat to hijack an aircraft “under circumstances which indicate that the threat is credible”. In other words, the law does not wait for someone to actually take over a plane. A believable threat is enough.

The punishment is severe. If a hijacking leads to the death of a passenger or crew member, it can carry the death penalty. In other cases, it is punishable with life imprisonment, along with a fine and confiscation of property. A bail application cannot be heard until the public prosecutor has had a chance to oppose it.

There is already a precedent. In October 2017, a Mumbai businessman named Birju Kishor Salla planted a printed note in the lavatory of a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Delhi. The note claimed there were hijackers on board, said the plane should be flown to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and warned that a bomb had been planted in the cargo area. The flight was diverted to Ahmedabad. In 2019, a special court sentenced Salla to life imprisonment and fined him Rs5 crore — the first conviction under the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016. Part of the fine was paid as compensation to the pilots, cabin crew and passengers.

Other laws apply too. Under Section 11A of the Aircraft Act, 1934, making a false threat about a bomb on an aircraft or at an airport can bring up to three years in prison, a fine of up to Rs10 lakh, or both. Under the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982, communicating information known to be false in a way that endangers an aircraft can be punished with life imprisonment. Aviation regulator DGCA can also ban a person from flying for up to two years and impose fines of up to Rs1 crore for false bomb threats.

The message from the authorities is clear: a hoax is not a prank. It is a serious crime, and the punishment can be as severe as for a real hijacking.

What hoax threats cost

Beyond the law, hoax threats carry a heavy practical cost. When a flight is grounded for seven hours, the disruption spreads far beyond the people on that one plane. Connecting passengers miss their flights. The aircraft is not available for its next routes, so other flights are delayed or cancelled. Airport security staff are pulled away from their normal work. And the airline bears the cost of fuel, crew time, passenger care and rebooking.

There have been cases where the bill ran into crores of rupees. In 2015, a hoax bomb threat sent through WhatsApp delayed seven flights and cost the aviation industry nearly $1 million, according to officials at the time. The government responded by directing police to book hoax callers under the strictest available law.

For passengers, the cost is measured in missed meetings, ruined plans and hours spent waiting in an airport terminal without knowing when — or whether — their flight will leave. The 105 passengers on AI 2772 spent most of their day at Kolkata airport before finally reaching Mumbai in the evening.

What happens next

The investigation into the Kolkata note is still under way. The key questions are who wrote it, when it was left in the lavatory, and whether the person was a passenger on the flight or someone who had access to the aircraft before boarding.

If the person is identified, they are likely to face charges under the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, the Aircraft Act and other laws — charges that can carry a life sentence. Investigators will also look at airport CCTV, boarding records and the aircraft’s cleaning and preparation logs to work out how the note got there.

Air India has not yet commented publicly on the incident. The airline, the CISF and airport authorities are all part of the investigation, and further details are expected as it progresses.

Meanwhile, the incident is a reminder for passengers: if you see something suspicious on a plane — an unattended bag, a strange note, or anything out of place — tell the cabin crew immediately. In this case, the crew found the note and acted fast. That is exactly what the safety rules require, and it is why everyone on board reached Mumbai safely, even if they arrived seven hours late.

Frequently asked questions

What happened on the Air India flight in Kolkata?

On Wednesday, 11 November 2026, cabin crew found a hijack threat note in the lavatory of Air India flight AI 2772, an Airbus A320 flying from Kolkata to Mumbai. The note warned the plane would be hijacked at 11.10 am. The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay, all 105 passengers were taken off, and security teams searched the plane. The threat was declared a hoax, and the flight took off at 5.38 pm, nearly seven hours late.

Was anyone in danger?

No. No weapon or explosive was found, and no one was hurt. The threat was a hoax. But because a hijack threat can never be ignored until it is checked, the full security response was carried out.

What is an isolation bay?

An isolation bay is a remote parking area at an airport, away from terminals and other aircraft, where a plane under a security threat is parked while it is searched. It keeps passengers, staff and other aircraft safe while security teams work.

How many people were on the flight?

Kolkata airport director Vikram Singh said 105 passengers had boarded the aircraft. Early reports put the number at 93 passengers and five crew members.

What punishment can a hijack hoax carry in India?

Under the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016, even a credible threat to hijack an aircraft counts as hijacking, and it can be punished with life imprisonment. In 2019, a man who left a hijack threat note on a Jet Airways flight was sentenced to life in prison and fined Rs5 crore. False bomb threats can also bring up to three years in prison under the Aircraft Act, and flying bans and fines of up to Rs1 crore under DGCA rules.

Has this happened before?

Yes. On 7 November 2026, a hijack threat note forced an IndiGo flight to return to Bengaluru; that threat was also a hoax. India has also seen many waves of hoax bomb threats against flights, schools and airports.

Is Air India investigating?

The incident is being investigated by airport authorities, the CISF and the police. Air India had not issued a public statement at the time of reporting.

Conclusion

The hijack scare on Air India flight AI 2772 ended the way these scares almost always end: with a long delay, a lot of worry, and nothing found. But the cost was real — seven hours lost for more than 100 passengers, a disrupted schedule for the airline, and hours of work for security teams.

It was also the second hijack hoax in less than a week, and it comes amid a wider wave of false threats against flights and schools. The law treats these acts with the utmost seriousness: under India’s Anti-Hijacking Act, a credible threat is hijacking, and it can mean life in prison. The man who left a similar note on a Jet Airways flight in 2017 is serving a life sentence.

Hoaxes are cheap to make and expensive to answer. Until the person behind the Kolkata note is found, the lesson is the same one the cabin crew followed on Wednesday morning: report anything suspicious at once, and let the security checks do their work.

Sources

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

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