Frankfurt-Delhi Air India flight diverted to Jaipur after hijacking alert, probe on

An Air India flight from Frankfurt to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday morning after the pilot briefly transmitted the international hijack alert code, prompting an emergency response and a security probe.

Flight AI-2030, operated by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, landed safely at Jaipur International Airport at approximately 9:35 am. All 306 passengers on board were safe. The aircraft was immediately moved to an isolation bay for thorough security checks by police, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), and other agencies.

According to sources, the pilot activated Squawk Code 7500, the internationally recognised transponder signal for unlawful interference or a possible hijacking, for a short duration while the aircraft was in the Mumbai Flight Information Region. Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control received the distress signal, leading authorities to divert the plane to Jaipur as a precaution around 9:10 am.

Early police reports referred to a bomb threat, but subsequent accounts clarified that the trigger was the brief transmission of the hijack code. Preliminary indications from Jaipur Airport head Charan Singh suggest the pilot may have activated the alert by mistake. An investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances.

Security personnel examined the aircraft and passengers’ luggage. Passengers were deboarded under supervision and will be transported to their destinations in line with standard operating procedures. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the incident. Initial checks found aircraft operations to be normal. The National Security Guard was placed on standby in some reports.

Airport operations in Jaipur remained normal. Official comments from Air India were awaited at the time of reporting. This is a developing story.