A handwritten note threatening to hijack an IndiGo flight forced the Bengaluru–Lucknow service to turn back shortly after take-off on Saturday evening, triggering a full emergency at Kempegowda International Airport. The aircraft landed safely with all 178 passengers on board, security agencies found nothing suspicious during anti-sabotage checks, and the threat was declared a hoax.
Flight 6E-451 had departed from Terminal 1 of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at around 5:50 pm IST on Saturday, 7 November, bound for Lucknow. About 30 minutes into the journey, a passenger who entered the aircraft's lavatory spotted a handwritten note containing a hijack threat and alerted the cabin crew, according to Deccan Herald and The Hindu.
The crew immediately informed the pilot-in-command, who alerted air traffic control and sought priority clearance to return to Bengaluru. Airport authorities declared a full emergency as a precautionary measure while the aircraft was still in the air.
What the note said
According to reports in Deccan Herald, The Hindu and NDTV, the note read: "This plane is going to get hijacked exactly at 06:30. Ignore and see the consequences."
The wording varied slightly between reports — NDTV quoted it as "This plane is going to get hijacked exactly at 06:30" — but all accounts agree on the substance: a specific time was named, and the message warned of consequences if it was ignored.
The note was found in the lavatory, not in a passenger seat or on a tray table, and it was a fellow passenger, not a crew member, who first spotted it and raised the alarm. That detail matters to investigators, because it narrows down who could have written it and when.
Timeline: from take-off to all-clear
| Time (IST, 7 Nov) | What happened |
|---|---|
| ~5:50 pm | Flight 6E-451 departs Terminal 1, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, with 178 passengers on board. |
| ~6:20 pm | About 30 minutes into the flight, a passenger finds a handwritten hijack threat in the lavatory and alerts the crew. |
| ~6:20–6:40 pm | The pilot informs air traffic control and seeks priority clearance to return; the airport declares a full emergency. |
| Evening | The aircraft lands safely at Bengaluru and is moved to an isolated bay; security agencies cordon off the area and begin anti-sabotage checks. |
| Later in the evening | Checks find nothing suspicious; the threat is declared a hoax and the emergency is lifted. |
| Later in the night | Deccan Herald reported the flight resumed its journey to Lucknow after security clearance. |
Flight-tracking data cited by The Hindu showed the aircraft remained airborne for 51 minutes before returning to Bengaluru — longer than the roughly 30 minutes it took for the note to be found, reflecting the time needed to coordinate the return with air traffic control.
The emergency response on the ground
Once the aircraft was back on the ground, it was moved to an isolated bay away from the main terminal, where security agencies — including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Bengaluru police — cordoned off the area, The Hindu reported.
Anti-sabotage checks were carried out to ensure the safety of the aircraft and its passengers. Sources in Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) told The Hindu and Deccan Herald that the checks did not reveal anything suspicious, and the aircraft was declared safe.
A full emergency is the highest level of alert an Indian airport can declare. It is a precautionary measure, not a finding that a threat is real: it mobilises fire services, medical teams and security agencies to stand by before the aircraft lands, so that help is already in place if it is needed.
What IndiGo said
"A security threat was reported onboard IndiGo flight 6E 451, operating from Bengaluru to Lucknow on 07 November 2026. 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."
The airline said it regretted the inconvenience caused to its customers and was making efforts to minimise it, including offering refreshments and regular updates, according to NDTV.
Threat declared a hoax
Sources in BIAL told The Hindu that "the threat was subsequently found to be a hoax, following which the emergency was lifted by the authorities". Deccan Herald's sources said the same: no suspicious object was found during the inspection, and the emergency was lifted after the aircraft was declared safe.
Deccan Herald also reported that the flight resumed its journey to Lucknow later in the night after receiving security clearance. Flight-tracking records list the original flight as diverted, consistent with the aircraft returning to its departure airport rather than completing the scheduled sector.
Why a hoax still stops a flight. A threat note cannot be dismissed in the air. Until the aircraft is on the ground and searched, the crew and the airline have no way of knowing whether it is genuine — so the procedure is the same as for a real threat: return, isolate the aircraft, and search it. That is why hoax threats, however empty they turn out to be, carry the same operational cost as real ones: a diverted flight, a full emergency, hours of delay, and a police investigation. Aviation has faced a run of them in recent days: on 5 November, hoax bomb threats hit 14 flights across Europe, prompting fighter-jet escorts and emergency landings.
Investigation under way
An investigation has been launched to trace the origin of the threatening message and identify who wrote it, the Economic Times reported.
The note itself is the main piece of evidence. Investigators will be working from the handwriting, the timing — the note was placed before or during the flight — and the passenger and crew accounts of who used the lavatory and when. No arrest or suspect has been reported so far.
What is not yet known. Who wrote the note, and why, has not been established. No arrest has been reported, and the authorities have not said whether any suspect has been identified. The precise time the emergency was lifted has not been published, and the exact wording of the note differs slightly between reports.
Frequently asked questions
Was anyone hurt?
No. The aircraft landed safely and all 178 passengers were unharmed. No suspicious object was found on board.
What did the note actually say?
According to Deccan Herald, The Hindu and NDTV, it read: "This plane is going to get hijacked exactly at 06:30. Ignore and see the consequences." The wording varies slightly between reports, but the substance is consistent.
Why did the flight turn back instead of continuing to Lucknow?
Because a hijack threat cannot be assessed in the air. Standard procedure is to return to the departure airport, where the aircraft can be isolated and searched, and where the full emergency response is already in place.
What happens to the person who wrote the note?
An investigation is under way to identify the author. The authorities have not announced any arrest or charge so far.
Is this part of a wider pattern?
Hoax threats against flights have recurred in recent days, including hoax bomb threats against 14 flights across Europe on 5 November. Each one is treated as genuine until security checks prove otherwise.
Key takeaways
- A handwritten hijack threat found in the lavatory of IndiGo flight 6E-451 forced the Bengaluru–Lucknow service to return to its departure airport on Saturday evening.
- The aircraft, carrying 178 passengers, landed safely and was moved to an isolated bay, where CISF and Bengaluru police carried out anti-sabotage checks.
- A full emergency was declared at Kempegowda International Airport as a precaution. No suspicious object was found, and the threat was declared a hoax.
- An investigation is under way to identify who wrote the note. No arrest has been reported.
- Hoax threats are treated exactly like real ones until proven otherwise — which is why a single note can divert a flight and trigger a full emergency response.
What to watch next
The investigation is the story now. Police and airport security will be working to identify the author of the note from handwriting and passenger accounts, and any arrest or charge will be the next development. IndiGo has not said whether it will seek compensation for the disruption. If an arrest is made, this article will be updated.
