Air India Flight Cleared After Emergency Landing in Jaipur Following Hijack Alert
JAIPUR — An Air India flight traveling from Frankfurt to New Delhi was cleared to resume its journey Wednesday after making an emergency landing at Jaipur International Airport following a reported hijacking alert, authorities said.
Security personnel conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft and found nothing suspicious, allowing passengers to reboard flight AI-2030 for its onward journey to Delhi.
The aircraft was diverted to Jaipur after air traffic controllers in Ahmedabad reportedly received a hijacking alert from the flight. The information was relayed to Jaipur Air Traffic Control, prompting authorities to arrange an emergency landing at approximately 9:45 a.m.
About 300 passengers were reportedly on board the aircraft, which was moved to an isolation bay after landing. Passengers were evacuated as a precaution while security agencies, including personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), searched the plane.
The inspection lasted approximately two and a half hours and found no suspicious objects, according to airport officials.
Investigators also questioned the pilot to determine what triggered the alert.
Initial reports suggested that the warning may have been activated accidentally by the pilot or caused by a technical malfunction. However, sources said the pilot denied inadvertently triggering the alert.
Authorities had not issued an official explanation for the incident, and the circumstances surrounding the warning remained under investigation.
The flight departed Frankfurt at 9:45 p.m. on October 13 and was originally scheduled to arrive in New Delhi at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday.
Security measures were increased at Jaipur International Airport following the emergency landing, with multiple agencies, including the Anti-Terrorism Squad, responding to the incident.
Reports also indicated that a National Security Guard team in Delhi had been placed on standby, although officials did not confirm whether the unit was deployed to Jaipur.
The incident reportedly involved transponder code 7500, an internationally recognized aviation emergency code used to signal unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.
When air traffic controllers receive such a signal, they initiate security protocols and coordinate with the flight crew and relevant authorities to assess the situation.
Even when an alert is believed to have been triggered accidentally or by a technical malfunction, aviation security procedures require authorities to investigate potential threats before allowing an aircraft to continue its journey.
Following the completion of security checks, officials said the aircraft had been cleared to depart for Delhi, with passengers instructed to reboard. (Source: IANS)
