Pilot error suspected in Air India flight's hijack alert, probe underway

AN Air India flight carrying 306 passengers from Frankfurt to New Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday after a reported hijack alert that the pilot may have triggered accidentally, according to an airport official.

Flight AI2030 landed safely at Jaipur International Airport at 9.35 am, airport head Charan Singh told The Indian Express.

Preliminary indications suggest the pilot may have activated the alert by mistake, Singh said, adding that an investigation was underway to establish the circumstances.

The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay, where security personnel began inspecting the plane and passengers’ luggage.

Security agencies safely evacuated all 306 passengers and moved them to the airport terminal.

An airport official said the situation was under control and that passengers would continue to their destinations under standard operating procedures.

What triggered the hijack alert?

According to initial reports, Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control received a brief Squawk 7500 signal from the aircraft, prompting an emergency response.

Squawk 7500 is an internationally recognised aviation transponder code used to indicate a possible hijacking or unlawful interference with an aircraft.

The alert prompted authorities to divert the flight to Jaipur, where personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force, local police and bomb detection and disposal teams began security checks.

Initial reports differed over whether the incident involved a bomb threat or a suspected hijacking.

An airport official earlier told Hindustan Times that the alert concerned a suspected hijacking rather than a bomb threat.

Jaipur airport head Charan Singh's latest comments suggest the alert may have been activated accidentally, though investigators have yet to confirm the cause.

No one has confirmed that a hijacking attempt actually occurred.

Air India had not issued a detailed official statement at the time of the latest reports, and the outcome of the security investigation remained unclear.