Bengaluru-Lucknow IndiGo flight makes U-turn after hijack threat note found in washroom

New Delhi: A Lucknow bound IndiGo flight from Bengaluru was forced to return to the Kempegowda International Airport after a handwritten note, threatening to hijack the plane was found in the lavatory. The flight on which the note was found was the 6E451, which had taken off from Bengaluru at 5:50 pm.

The plane had 178 passengers onboard and was mid-air, when a passenger spotted the note in the toilet, reported NDTV. The note read, “This plane is going to get hijacked at exactly 6:30. Ignore and see the consequences.”

The passenger immediately approached the crew and told them about the purported note. The pilot then contacted the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and as a precautionary measure, the plane returned to Bengaluru Airport.

Security personnel checks aircraft

After landing all passengers were deboarded and security personnel carried out checks inside the aircraft. The police also questioned the passengers onboard the plane, as they suspected that one of them might have left the hand-written note inside the aircraft.

According to the last reports that came in, the flight was yet to take off. It could take off only after all security checks were completed.

Following the incident, IndiGo issued a statement. It read, “In line with Standard Operating Procedure, the relevant authorities were informed immediately and the pilots decided to return to origin to carry out the necessary security checks, as per protocol… We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and are making all efforts to minimize it, including offering them refreshments and sharing regular updates.”

The flight landed at Bengaluru Airport’s Terminal 1, following the hijack scare. A full emergency was declared at the T1 terminal, following the incident.