Jaipur, Oct 14: An Air India flight from Frankfurt to Delhi, which made an emergency landing at Jaipur International Airport following a reported hijack alert, has been cleared to continue its journey after security checks found nothing suspicious, airport officials said on Wednesday.
Officials told IANS that passengers had been asked to board flight AI-2030 and that the aircraft was preparing to depart for Delhi. The flight made an emergency landing at Jaipur International Airport on Wednesday morning after Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control (ATC) reportedly received a hijack alert from the aircraft.
The alert was subsequently communicated to Jaipur ATC, following which the aircraft was diverted and made to land in Jaipur at around 9.45 a.m. Security agencies immediately initiated an inspection, and passengers were deboarded as a precaution. According to preliminary reports, approximately 300 passengers were on board.
The aircraft was moved to an isolation bay, where security personnel, including a team from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), conducted checks. The inspection reportedly lasted around two and a half hours. No suspicious objects were found on board, according to officials.
Security agencies also questioned the pilot to establish how the alert was triggered. Initial reports suggested that the hijack alert might have been triggered accidentally when the pilot pressed the designated alert button. Another preliminary account indicated that a technical or system error could have generated the message. However, sources said the pilot denied accidentally pressing the alert button during questioning.
No official statement had been issued relating to the cause of the alert at the time of reporting. Following the security inspection, agencies reportedly cleared the aircraft to proceed to Delhi. The precise circumstances surrounding the alert remained under investigation. According to information, the aircraft departed from Frankfurt at 9.45 p.m. on October 13 and was scheduled to arrive in Delhi at 10.40 a.m. on October 14.
The flight was diverted to Jaipur after the reported alert was received. Security was tightened at Jaipur Airport following the incident. Teams from multiple agencies, including the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), were present at the airport. Reports also indicated that an NSG team in Delhi had been placed on standby, although its deployment to Jaipur was not officially confirmed.
Code 7500 is the internationally recognised transponder code used by pilots to indicate unlawful interference, including a hijacking. When air traffic control receives this code, it can trigger an immediate security response and coordination between the flight crew, ATC and relevant security agencies. Even when an alert is suspected to be accidental or caused by a technical fault, authorities may follow precautionary procedures until the situation has been assessed.
IANS