An Air India flight from Frankfurt to Delhi was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday morning after a suspected hijacking signal from the aircraft triggered a security alert, prompting authorities to isolate the plane and screen passengers and baggage.
Flight AI2030 landed safely at Jaipur International Airport at 9:35 am and was moved to an isolation bay at 9:45 am. All passengers and crew were brought off the aircraft and taken to a designated holding area inside the terminal while security personnel conducted checks, airport officials said.
According to information, Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control received a brief emergency signal around 9 am. According to Directorate General of Civil Aviation sources, the aircraft was squawking transponder code 7500, the internationally recognised aviation code for hijacking or unlawful interference.
The information was shared with the authorities concerned, including Jaipur air traffic control, and the aircraft was diverted at 9:10 am. Sources suggested that the hijacking alert might have been transmitted inadvertently, although sources said the pilot denied activating the signal during questioning.
An airport official, requesting anonymity, stated that the alert involved a rumour of hijacking, while earlier information had pointed toward a possible bomb threat.
Senior officials, including additional chief secretary for home Bhaskar A. Sawant, Jaipur police commissioner Sachin Mittal, and district collector Sandesh Nayak, reached the airport. Anti-Terrorism Squad personnel were also present, and nearby hospitals were alerted as a precaution.
Central Industrial Security Force personnel, local police, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad inspected the aircraft and passengers’ luggage. Sniffer dogs were deployed to search the cabin and baggage hold while the aircraft remained away from the main apron.
The flight had departed Frankfurt on Tuesday night and was scheduled to arrive in Delhi at 10:40 am on Wednesday.
In a statement issued later, Air India said that flight AI2030 operating from Frankfurt to Delhi on October 14 was diverted to Jaipur following a perceived security concern, and that the aircraft landed safely. The relevant security agencies carried out the necessary checks and have cleared the aircraft and crew. All passengers were disembarked, underwent security checks, and have since reboarded the aircraft.
Air India teams worked proactively with authorities to minimise passenger inconvenience, the airline added, expressing sincere regret for the disruption while reiterating that the safety and security of passengers and crew remain its highest priority.