ATC software glitch behind Air India false hijack scare? Probe on
An Air India flight was diverted to Jaipur after a technical glitch in Mumbai's air traffic control system triggered a false hijack alert. Authorities are currently investigating the incident, which caused significant delays and security checks for the 306 passengers on board.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical vulnerabilities in aviation infrastructure and the potential for technical errors to cause major operational and security disruptions.
NEW DELHI: A false hijack alert created a real scare for security agencies and the 306 people on board Air India’s Frankfurt-Delhi flight on Wednesday, with the Boeing 787 getting diverted to Jaipur as a result where everyone had to wait for hours before they could fly to their destination. It is reliably learnt pilots operating the flight, AI 2030, did not squawk the code 7500 used to convey a hijack or unlawful interference, which has to be punched on a keypad like four letter code to unlock phones.Still the recently installed air traffic control radar system at Mumbai, which is now an enroute ATC due to longer routes taken by Indian aircraft flying between Delhi and the west, somehow conveyed that scary message for the erstwhile Vistara B787-9 (VT-TSE). “Once that happened, Mumbai ATC spoke to the pilots who reported that all operations were normal on the flight.
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