Hijack Threat Note Found in IndiGo Flight’s Toilet, Lucknow-Bound Plane Returns to Bengaluru

November 8, 2026

Bengaluru: An IndiGo flight bound for Lucknow was forced to return to Bengaluru on Saturday, November 7, after receiving a hijacking threat. Minutes after takeoff, a handwritten note was found in the restroom. Following this, a full emergency was declared at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

According to reports, IndiGo flight 6E-451 departed from Bengaluru for Lucknow. The crew found a handwritten note threatening hijacking in the restroom. There were 178 passengers on board at the time.

Upon receiving the threat, the pilots, following security protocols, decided to return the plane to Bengaluru. The plane then made an emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport and security checks were initiated.

An IndiGo spokesperson stated that a security threat was reported on Flight 6E-451 from Bengaluru to Lucknow on November 7, 2026. As per the established standard operating procedures (SOPs), the relevant authorities were immediately informed, and the decision was made to return the flight to its originating airport for necessary security checks.

The spokesperson stated that the airline regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers. All efforts are being made to mitigate their inconvenience, including providing refreshments and regular updates. The flight will resume its journey once the necessary clearances are received.

Bomb threat message found on plane at Kolkata Airport

Earlier in October, a similar incident occurred at Kolkata Airport. “There is a bomb inside the plane” was found written in lipstick on the toilet mirror of a flight arriving in Kolkata from Phuket. Following this, a full emergency was declared at the airport.

According to airport sources, after the flight arrived in Kolkata from Phuket, when crew members went to clean the toilet, they noticed the message written on the mirror. The pilot and airport security officials were immediately informed.

Shortly after, the plane was moved to an isolation bay. After the passengers were safely evacuated, CISF, the bomb squad, and airport police began searching the plane. However, despite a thorough search, no suspicious object was found on board.

Initially, it was suspected that this act may have been done to spread panic. Police were examining passenger lists and CCTV footage to identify the person who wrote the threatening message.

Following this, the area around the boarding gate was also evacuated, and the bomb squad and CISF personnel conducted a search of the airport premises.