Kolkata: There was panic at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata on Saturday morning after a bomb threat on an IndiGo flight to Shillong in Meghalaya was reported.
According to officials, cabin crew found the handwritten note inside one of the aircraft’s toilets, even after passengers had boarded. The aircraft, scheduled to depart at 9.15 am, was immediately halted and all passengers were safely evacuated.
The plane was moved to an isolation bay as security agencies began a thorough search.
“A security threat was reported today involving IndiGo flight 6E-7304 operating from Kolkata to Shillong. A handwritte
n note indicating a possible bomb threat was discovered in the aircraft lavatory by a crew member,” the NSCBI Airport announced.
The aircraft was shifted to an isolation bay and all standard safety procedures were being followed to ensure the security of passengers and flight operations, it added.
Flight schedules have been affected on a regular basis over the last few months due to bomb scares. In many cases, flights – some of them international ones – have had to be diverted.
Bomb threats have also been received by schools, courts and other establishments across the country in the last several months.
A day ago, nearly 17 schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails. The messages contained disturbing content and claimed, “Delhi will become Khalistan and bomb blasts will happen at 1.11 pm in schools.” All threats were later declared hoaxes after police searches.
The email also warned of a blast inside Parliament of India at 2.11 pm, leading to heightened security and coordination among multiple agencies, as reported by timesnow.in.