An IndiGo Airlines flight travelling from Delhi to Bagdogra was forced to make an emergency landing on January 18, 2026, at Lucknow airport after a bomb threat was reported onboard.
The Indian Police and security agencies were alerted to the threat while the flight number 6E-6650 was mid-air. Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Verma said the warning came from a handwritten message found on a tissue paper in the toilet of the flight, stating that there was a bomb on board.
“A message was found written on a tissue paper in the toilet of the flight, stating that there was a bomb on board. The flight had 238 passengers, along with the pilots and crew. The flight was en route from Delhi to Bagdogra. It made an emergency landing in Lucknow and is currently being searched,” the ACP said.
Plane landed safely after which emergency protocols were initiated
The plane landed safely at Lucknow airport at around 9:17 am and was immediately taken to an isolated area after arrival. Once it was on the ground, security personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the airport’s bomb disposal squad initiated an extensive and thorough search of the aircraft to “rule out any threat,” officials said.
The flight was carrying 230 passengers, including 222 adults and eight infants, along with two pilots and five cabin crew members. All occupants were evacuated and screened by security teams as standard procedure. Their luggage was also checked as part of the investigation. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing to determine the credibility and source of the bomb threat message.
Similar Past Incidents
There have been multiple bomb threats of such nature in the Indian aviation sector in recent years. One such incident occurred on an IndiGo flight from Jaipur to Mumbai which made an emergency landing in April 2025. The bomb threat note was similarly discovered in the lavatory due to which there was a “full emergency”, however the flight landed safely.
Another case was from September 2025, where an IndiGo Mumbai–Delhi flight received a threat when a tissue with “Bomb in Engine” was found, however after checking the situation was declared a hoax.
