The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Air India hijack scare: ATC glitch suspected as flight reaches Delhi safely
Investigators examine possible radar malfunction after Frankfurt-Delhi flight diverted
An Air India flight from Frankfurt to New Delhi diverted to Jaipur after a false hijack alert, with investigators now examining a possible air traffic control system malfunction.
Flight AI2030, a Boeing 787-9, carried 293 passengers and 13 crew members at the time of the incident. The aircraft reportedly squawked 7500, an emergency code associated with hijacking or unlawful interference, prompting the diversion.
The aircraft landed safely at Jaipur International Airport around 9:35 am local time on October 14 and was moved to an isolation bay for security checks. Passengers disembarked, underwent screening, and were allowed to reboard the same aircraft.
After checks in Jaipur, the flight departed again at 2:37 pm and subsequently landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 3:11 pm. Initial reports varied on whether the hijack code had actually been transmitted by the pilots.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation is examining the ATC system for a potential technical error, with investigators suspecting a malfunction in the Mumbai air traffic control radar system. The aviation regulator’s final findings have not yet been released.