NationalAviation security
IndiGo Bengaluru-Lucknow flight turns back after hijack threat note found in toilet
Flight 6E 451 returned to Kempegowda International Airport on Saturday evening and a full emergency was declared. The airline says the aircraft will resume after clearances.
Key points
- IndiGo flight 6E 451 turned back to Bengaluru after a handwritten threat note was found in a toilet.
- A full emergency was declared at Kempegowda International Airport and the aircraft was isolated for security sweeps.
- The author of the note is yet to be identified; investigators are questioning passengers.
An IndiGo flight from Bengaluru to Lucknow turned back to the city on Saturday evening after a handwritten hijack threat was found in an aircraft toilet, and a full emergency was declared at Kempegowda International Airport.
Flight 6E 451 took off at about 5:50 pm with 178 passengers on board, according to the figures reported. A note was found in the toilet while the plane was in the air. It was reported to read: “This plane is going to get hijacked exactly at 06:30. Ignore and see the consequences.” The pilot informed Air Traffic Control and brought the aircraft back as a precaution.
Security response
On landing at Terminal 1, airport security personnel and aviation law enforcement agencies took control of the aircraft and isolated it for anti-sabotage and safety sweeps. Passengers were asked to leave the plane, and police questioned them as part of the inquiry into who wrote the note. Investigators were reported to suspect that someone on board may have left it.
No one had been identified as the author when the first accounts were filed. No arrest or detention has been announced.
What IndiGo said
The airline confirmed the incident. It said a security threat was reported on board flight 6E 451 from Bengaluru to Lucknow on November 7, 2026, adding that the relevant authorities were informed immediately and the pilots decided to return to origin for security checks under protocol.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and are making all efforts to minimise it,” IndiGo said. It said passengers were being given refreshments and regular updates, and that the flight will resume its journey after receiving the requisite clearances.
What happens next
The aircraft must clear the security checks before it can fly again, and the inquiry into the note will continue. Airlines treat a written threat on board as a security alert even when it later proves to be a hoax, which is why the flight returned rather than continuing to Lucknow.