Delhi-Mumbai Air India flight sends 'false' hijack alert soon after takeoff. What went wrong?
India news: Air India flight AI 2957 departed from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday night. The flight was carrying 126 passengers.
A Mumbai-bound Air India flight reportedly sent an emergency signal to air traffic control (ATC), indicating that the aircraft was potentially hijacked.
Air India flight AI 2957 departed from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday night. The flight was carrying 126 passengers.
Following the signal, the protocols were activated involving various security agencies and military forces.
The aircraft’s transponder transmitted a 'squawk 7500' code to Delhi ATC right after takeoff, a Delhi airport official who asked for anonymity told Indian news media outlet Hindustan Times.
What is squawk code?
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Squawk codes are four-digit numbers used by the ATC to identify aircraft in flight, ranging from 000 to 7777.
Squawk code 7500 indicates "unlawful interference," which is typically recognised as a hijacking, according to Flightradar.com.
On receiving the alert, Delhi ATC initiated a protocol to inform the destination airport, security agencies, and the Indian Air Force. A special committee was formed, and the Indian Air Force was put on high alert.
But the pilot quickly informed the ATC that it was a false alarm and the aircraft was operating normally.
However, authorities were cautious as they did not want to take any chances, as the main concern was that the pilot might have been under threat and might have been forced to report it as a false alarm.
Later, the flight landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at 9:47 pm. A full emergency was declared at the Mumbai airport, and all local police forces, including the National Security Guard (NSG), were deployed.
After landing in Mumbai, the aircraft was directed to an isolation bay, where it was inspected. As itwas known that the flight posed no danger, the passengers were allowed to disembark.
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An investigation is underway for what might have caused the false alarm. However, a potential technical glitch is being considered.
(With inputs from agencies)
