Air India Flight Diverted to Jaipur After Pilot Activates Hijack Alert Code

An Air India flight from Frankfurt to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday after the pilot activated Squawk Code 7500, the internationally recognized transponder code indicating hijacking or unlawful interference. Flight AI-2030, a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, was in the Mumbai Flight Information Region when the alert was transmitted around 9:00 am. Air traffic control received the emergency signal, and authorities at Delhi airport's war room decided to divert the aircraft to Jaipur as a precautionary measure.

The aircraft landed safely at Jaipur International Airport at approximately 9:35 am and was immediately moved to an isolation bay. Security personnel from multiple agencies, including the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), airport security, local police, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), conducted inspections of the aircraft and passengers' luggage. Both pilots were deboarded as part of security protocol, while the National Security Guard (NSG) was placed on standby in New Delhi. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated and held in an emergency area during the inspection process.

Initial security checks found aircraft operations to be normal, and no threats or objectionable items were discovered. The incident was later confirmed to be a hoax. Air India described it as a "perceived security concern," and the aircraft was cleared after the required security procedures. Passengers were subsequently allowed to reboard the same aircraft, which continued to New Delhi airport and landed safely.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's civil aviation watchdog, ordered an investigation into the circumstances that prompted the pilot's activation of the hijack alert code. Officials stated that the incident was a "hijacking rumour, not a bomb threat," but the exact reasons behind the pilot's decision to transmit the alert remained under investigation. One passenger, Swasti Rao, posted on social media after reboarding: "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."