Air India flight diverted to Jaipur after hijack alert

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Frankfurt-to-Delhi flight lands safely after transmitting internationally recognised hijack code

An Air India flight travelling from Frankfurt, Germany, to New Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday, October 14, after a suspected hijacking alert triggered a security response in India.

The aircraft landed safely, and police and airport security teams inspected the plane and passengers’ luggage as authorities investigated the cause of the alert.

Flight AI2030, operated by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, landed at Jaipur International Airport at around 9:35am local time, or 0405 GMT, according to Indian media reports. Some reports gave the landing time as 9:45am.

The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for security checks. Initial assessments indicated that the aircraft was operating normally, while preliminary reports suggested the emergency signal might have been activated accidentally.

According to media reports, the aircraft was carrying 293 passengers and 13 crew members. Airport authorities said everyone on board was safe and that passengers were being evacuated and taken to a designated holding area in the terminal.

The diversion followed an emergency signal reportedly received by Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control for a few seconds at around 9am local time, or 0330 GMT.

Preliminary reports indicated that the pilot transmitted Squawk 7500 while the aircraft was flying within the Mumbai Flight Information Region. The internationally recognised transponder code is used to discreetly alert air traffic control to a suspected hijacking or other unlawful interference with an aircraft.

The signal prompted the flight crew to seek permission to land at the nearest airport as a precaution, leading to the diversion to Jaipur.

Initial reports referred to an alleged bomb threat, with the Hindustan Times citing police sources. However, an airport official told the newspaper that the incident concerned a suspected hijacking rather than a bomb threat.

“It was a hijacking rumour, not a bomb threat. It’s too early to comment officially on the matter. An investigation is underway,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

There was no confirmation of an actual hijacking attempt, and investigators were working to establish what triggered the alert.

Assistant Commissioner of Police for Malviya Nagar, Shiv Dayal, said airport authorities had informed police about the emergency landing following the security alert.

Police officers and airport security personnel inspected the aircraft and passengers’ luggage. Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad teams were also involved in the security checks, while other reports said India’s National Security Guard (NSG) had been placed on standby.

According to CNN-News18, both pilots were taken off the aircraft in line with security protocols. The NSG, India’s federal counter-terrorism and special operations force, was reportedly placed on standby in Delhi.

Initial checks found no operational abnormality, and reports citing Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources said the aircraft had been cleared by authorities. Officials were nevertheless investigating the circumstances that prompted the cockpit alert.

Jaipur airport head Charan Singh was quoted in Indian media reports as saying preliminary indications suggested the alert may have been activated by mistake.

Airport authorities said passengers were safe and there was no panic following the diversion. After the aircraft and passengers underwent further security checks, passengers began boarding the same aircraft for the onward journey to Delhi.

Passenger Swasti Rao posted on X that the situation was fine after the required checks had been completed.

“Everything is fine. After protocol re-checks of the aircraft and the passengers, boarded the same flight that was diverted to Jaipur (because the pilot had activated hijack code), hopefully will depart for delhi soon,” she wrote.

Air India had not issued a detailed official statement at the time of the reports. Authorities were continuing to investigate whether the alert resulted from a mistake or another technical or operational issue.

The Jaipur diversion came a day after flight operations at Nuremberg Airport in Germany were suspended following an erroneous hijack signal from a Corendon Airlines flight travelling from Corfu.

German Eurofighter jets were reportedly scrambled to escort the aircraft after air traffic control lost radio contact with the cockpit between 8:15am and 8:28am UTC.

Corendon Airlines later confirmed that the hijacking signal had been transmitted in error because of a radio system malfunction. The airline reassured the public that passengers had never been in danger.

The latest incident also follows reports of an alleged hijacking incident involving Flydubai Flight FZ1073, bound for Israel, which reportedly unfolded about two and a half hours into the flight last month.

While the Air India flight was diverted as a precaution, the cause of its alert remains under investigation.

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