Kolkata Airport gets bomb threat email in latest hoax scare

Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport was placed on high alert on Thursday afternoon after an anonymous email claiming that explosives had been planted inside the terminal triggered an intensive security sweep.

The threat was ultimately declared a hoax after a thorough search of the premises by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) found nothing suspicious.

What happened at Kolkata Airport

The email, which arrived in the afternoon, warned that bombs had been stocked at multiple locations across the airport. Security officials immediately activated emergency protocols. While investigators suspected early on that the email was likely a prank, airport management decided to take no chances with passenger safety.

CISF jawans, who oversee security at the airport, quickly mobilised to conduct a systematic sweep of the terminal buildings, public areas, and luggage zones. The sudden surge in security personnel created a brief period of anxiety among passengers, but airport operations were not halted. Officials kept a close eye on passenger movement and flight schedules as the search progressed, ensuring that flights could continue to depart and land without major disruption.

Who is investigating the bomb threat

Cyber security experts have now been brought in to assist local police and airport officials in tracing the origin of the threatening email. At present, authorities have not released any details regarding the sender's identity or where the email was dispatched from.

Previous bomb hoaxes in West Bengal

Hoax threats of this nature have become a recurring headache for security agencies in West Bengal. Kolkata Airport itself has had to deal with several such scares recently. In February, an IndiGo flight bound for Shillong was grounded on the tarmac after a bomb threat note was found on board. Passengers were evacuated onto the runway while emergency teams searched the cabin and cargo hold, though no explosives were found.

That same month, two other flights at Kolkata were targeted on a single day. In those instances, threatening notes—including one written in lipstick—were discovered left in the aircraft toilets. Both flights had to be swept by bomb disposal squads before being cleared.

The pattern of hoax emails has also extended beyond the aviation sector. Earlier this year, multiple post offices and passport offices across several districts of West Bengal were evacuated after receiving similar bomb threats via email during business hours. In those cases, as with Thursday's incident at the airport, extensive searches by police and bomb squads revealed nothing.

Security agencies are continuing to monitor the airport premises, though officials have reassured travellers that the facility remains safe and fully operational.