Mumbai-bound Air India flight triggers hijack alert mid-air prompting security response: Here’s what happened

The Delhi-Mumbai Air India flight had 126 passengers on-board

A Mumbai-bound Air India flight AI 2957 reportedly sent an emergency signal to air traffic control (ATC) indicating a possible hijacking. This led to the activation of protocols involving various security agencies and military forces.

At 8:40 pm on Monday, Air India flight AI 2957, en route to Mumbai from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport, sent a hijack alert to air traffic control (ATC) in the capital shortly after takeoff, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

Upon receiving the alert, Delhi ATC swiftly initiated a protocol to inform the destination airport, security agencies, and the Indian Air Force. A central coordination committee, consisting of representatives from Delhi Police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Air Force, was formed, the report added.

However, the pilot soon contacted ATC, clarifying that it was a false alarm and that the aircraft was operating normally. Despite this, authorities remained cautious, wary that the pilot might have been under duress and coerced into reporting the situation as a false alarm.

The Delhi-Mumbai Air India flight had 126 passengers on-board.

It landed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at around 9:47 pm, prompting the declaration of full emergency at the airport. All local police forces and stakeholders together with the National Security Guard (NSG), were deployed, according to a News18 report. The plane was directed to an isolation bay for a thorough examination, and passengers were permitted to leave once it was confirmed that there was no danger.

The cause of the false alarm is under investigation, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) leading the inquiry, joined by BCAS and CISF. While a technical issue is being considered, the official cause will only be determined after the investigation is concluded.