NEW DELHI: A false hijack alert created a real scare for security agencies and the 306 people on board Air India’s Frankfurt-Delhi flight on Wednesday, with the Boeing 787 getting diverted to Jaipur as a result where everyone had to wait for hours before they could fly to their destination.
It is reliably learnt pilots operating the flight, AI 2030, did not squawk the code 7500 used to convey a hijack or unlawful interference, which has to be punched on a keypad like four letter code to unlock phones.Still the recently installed air traffic control radar system at Mumbai, which is now an enroute ATC due to longer routes taken by Indian aircraft flying between Delhi and the west, somehow conveyed that scary message for the erstwhile Vistara B787-9 (VT-TSE).
“Once that happened, Mumbai ATC spoke to the pilots who reported that all operations were normal on the flight. But protocols have to be followed in situations like this and so the plane was asked to divert,” said people in the know.Why the false scare happened is now the subject of a probe by both aviation and security agencies, with Mumbai ATC’s new systems being looked at closely. Incidentally, air traffic control has been headless as Airport Authority of India’s position of member (air navigation services) has been vacant for some time now and AAI itself does not have a regular chairman.
It remains to be seen how headless AAI’s headless ANS tackles the issue of reportedly false scares that have such an impact on passengers, crew members, security agencies and airline schedules apart from added costs.On landing in Jaipur around 11 am, the plane was parked on a remote bay. For about two hours everyone remained on board before being asked to alight so that security agencies could check them all, the baggage and aircraft before clearing it to take off for Delhi after 2.30 pm with the same set of crew.Senior B787 pilots say there is a “one in a trillion” chance of the code being set to 7500 on the aircraft inadvertently or due to some error. “Each digit has to be physically entered. There is no button that can be inadvertently pressed. So from the pilot or plane side some error to happen is highly remote,” they say.Senior air traffic controllers say Mumbai ATC has a new system. When a pilot squawks 7500 (hijack), then the colour of this aircraft’s dot on the radar screen turns red and an alarm goes off.In a statement, Air India said: “Air India flight AI2030 operating from Frankfurt to Delhi on Oct 14 was diverted to Jaipur following a perceived security concern. The aircraft landed safely in Jaipur. The relevant security agencies carried out the necessary checks and have cleared the aircraft and crew. All passengers disembarked, underwent security checks, and have since reboarded the aircraft. The flight is expected to continue its journey to Delhi shortly.
”“Air India teams worked proactively with authorities to minimise passenger inconvenience. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and appreciate their patience and understanding. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain Air India's highest priority,” AI statement added.