Handwritten hijack threat forces Lucknow-bound IndiGo flight to return to Bengaluru's KIA

Bengaluru: A handwritten note threatening to hijack a Bengaluru-Lucknow-bound IndiGo flight triggered a security alert on Saturday evening, forcing the aircraft to return to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) shortly after take-off.

The IndiGo flight 6E-451, carrying 178 passengers, had departed from Terminal 1 of KIA at around 5.50 pm. About 30 minutes into the journey, a passenger who entered the aircraft toilet reportedly spotted a handwritten note containing a hijack threat and alerted the cabin crew.

The note reportedly read, “This flight is going to be hijacked exactly at 6.30. Ignore this and see the consequences.”

The cabin crew immediately informed the pilot-in-command, who alerted the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and sought priority clearance to return to Bengaluru. Airport authorities declared a full emergency as a precautionary measure.

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Following the landing, the aircraft was moved to an isolated bay and security agencies, including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Bengaluru police, cordoned off the area. All passengers were safely deboarded following standard operating procedures.

Bomb disposal personnel and dog squads were deployed to thoroughly inspect the aircraft and passenger baggage. The security checks continued for around 90 minutes.

Sources in Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) said no suspicious object was found during the inspection and the threat was subsequently declared a hoax. The emergency was lifted after the aircraft was declared safe.

An IndiGo spokesperson said, “A security threat was reported onboard Lucknow-bound IndiGo flight 6E-451. As per the SOP, the authorities were informed immediately and the pilots decided to return to Bengaluru to carry out the necessary security checks. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and are making all efforts to minimise it, including offering them refreshments and sharing regular updates.”

The flight resumed its journey to Lucknow later in the night after the security clearance.