New Delhi: A Calcutta-bound Air India plane with 259 people on board was grounded minutes before take-off from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Wednesday following a bomb threat which turned out to be a hoax, officials said.

The passengers included four MPs from Bengal and state transport minister Suvendu Adhikari. Security agencies, after over six hours of anti-sabotage checks, gave an all-clear signal to the aircraft but the airline arranged another plane to take the passengers to their destination.

The flight had 248 passengers and 11 crew members.