Frankfurt-Delhi Air India Flight Diverted To Jaipur After Hijack Alert, Probe Underway

An Air India flight diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday morning after the pilot had raised an alert for hijacking at the airport is now in safe hands. On Wednesday, an Air India flight which diverted to Jaipur after hijacking alert by the pilot landed in an emergency at the Jaipur airport is now safe. DGCA had started an investigation regarding the incident.

The DGCA sources said the aircraft, an Boeing 787-9, made a safe landing and was taken to a specified isolation bay for security checks.

Preliminary information showed that all passengers and crew were safely evacuated and escorted to a holding area in the inside of the airport terminal.

In November 2014, an alert regarding pilot issues hijacking was issued.

DGCA sources said that the aircraft was broadcasting transponder code 7500, which is an internationally known code that means hijacking or unauthorized interference.

The pilot in command issued an alert which was picked up by Air Traffic Control (ATC) and then the aircraft diverted to Jaipur as a security measure.

Meanwhile, the police sources said the emergency landing was due to a bomb threat reported. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Malviya Nagar, Shiv Dayal told PTI that after being alerted to the bomb threat, the airport authorities had informed the police of the incident.

Police have not yet made it clear what the alert was, or what specifically prompted the diversion.

Security Agencies Conduct Checks

Once the plane had landed, it was taken to an isolation bay where security personnel conducted precautionary checks.

The pilots and passengers were disembarked in stages while being supervised by security team. A team of ground personnel from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), airport security agencies and local authorities took part in the operation.

Security checks of passengers and their bags were carried out. Earlier, it was revealed that the National Security Guard (NSG) in New Delhi had been kept on standby.

The aircraft was then seen to be released by the authorities following which the passengers were expected to board again, DGCA sources said.

DGCA Investigates Incident

The DGCA is conducting an investigation to find the causes of the alert and the subsequent diversion.

When contacted by ET, Air India had not issued a formal statement on the topic. More information on the reported bomb threat and investigation results are awaited.

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Susmita Modak

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Always love to raise the unraised matter. In a world of worries, I am always ready to come over my comfort zone and taking the step ahead of spreading awareness.

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