An Air India flight from Frankfurt to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday morning after a suspected security threat prompted an emergency response, with the aircraft landing safely and security agencies launching checks following reports that the pilot had briefly transmitted the international hijack alert code.
Flight AI-2030, operated using a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, was taken to an isolation bay at Jaipur International Airport after landing. Security personnel began examining the aircraft, while passengers and crew were deplaned under supervision, according to initial reports.
The emergency response followed a distress signal received by Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control (ATC). Officials in the know told PTI that the pilot had briefly squawked transponder code 7500, the internationally recognised signal for unlawful interference with an aircraft.
The circumstances surrounding the transmission were not immediately clear.
Why Was Air India Flight AI-2030 Diverted To Jaipur?
The Frankfurt-Delhi flight was diverted after a suspected bomb threat triggered security procedures, according to sources cited by PTI.
Shiv Dayal, Assistant Commissioner of Police for Malviya Nagar, told PTI that airport authorities had informed the police about the emergency landing following a bomb threat.
Police said security personnel were checking the aircraft after it was moved to the airport's isolation bay. Further details about the threat and the events leading to the diversion were not immediately available.
What Does Squawk Code 7500 Mean?
Transponder code 7500 is the internationally recognised aviation code indicating unlawful interference, including a hijack situation.
According to initial information cited by a source, the pilot transmitted the code briefly while the aircraft was in the Mumbai Flight Information Region (FIR). The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Jaipur.
The transmission prompted a heightened security response, although it was not immediately established whether the brief use of the code confirmed a hijack threat or whether the incident involved another form of security concern.
A transponder code is an important communication tool between an aircraft and air traffic control. Code 7500 alerts air traffic controllers to possible unlawful interference and allows the appropriate procedures to be initiated.
Investigators will need to establish the circumstances behind the transmission and determine the nature of the reported threat.
ATS Deployed At Jaipur Airport, NSG On Standby
Security agencies moved to secure the aircraft after it landed at Jaipur International Airport.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), airport security personnel and local police were involved in the response. The isolation bay was cordoned off as security teams began examining the aircraft and screening those on board.
Initial information indicated that passengers and their baggage were being subjected to security checks. The aircraft was also undergoing inspection as authorities worked to establish whether any threat remained.
The National Security Guard (NSG) was placed on standby in New Delhi in case its intervention became necessary. There was no immediate confirmation that the specialist force had been deployed to Jaipur.
Air India Flight AI-2030: What We Know So Far
The aircraft was operating an international service from Frankfurt to Delhi when it was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday morning.
The Boeing 787-9 landed safely and was moved to an isolation bay for security checks. The reported bomb threat and the pilot's brief transmission of transponder code 7500 prompted a coordinated response involving airport authorities, police and security agencies.
The number of passengers on board had not been immediately confirmed, and the airline had not issued an official comment at the time of reporting.
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