Air India Makes Emergency Landing After Hijack Code Is Issued, Possibly Due to Pilot Error

Indian authorities are investigating an Air India aircraft incident in which the plane made an emergency landing in Jaipur after the pilot issued a hijack code. Initial reports point to possible pilot error.

Jaipur airport chief Charan Singh, as reported by The Indian Express and cited by Gulf News on Wednesday (14 October 2026), said the Boeing 787-9 landed safely at Jaipur International Airport at about 9.35 am local time that morning.

Singh said initial indications suggested the pilot had activated the hijack code by mistake or inadvertently.

He did not elaborate on the preliminary findings, and said an investigation was under way to establish why the pilot issued the hijack code.

After making the emergency landing in Jaipur, flight AI2030 was directed to a designated isolation area. Security personnel then searched the aircraft and passengers’ baggage.

Local security authorities safely evacuated all 306 passengers and transferred them to the airport terminal.

After the checks, a local airport official said the situation was under control and passengers would continue to their destination in accordance with standard operating procedures.

What triggered the hijack code?

According to initial reports, an air traffic control (ATC) operator in Ahmedabad received the short code “Squawk 7500” from the aircraft, triggering an emergency response.

Squawk 7500 is an internationally recognised aviation transponder code used to indicate a possible hijacking or other unlawful interference.

The alert prompted Indian authorities to divert the New Delhi-bound flight to Jaipur. There, personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force, local police and bomb-detection and disposal teams began security checks.

Early reports conflicted over whether the incident involved a suspected bomb threat or a suspected hijacking. However, a local airport official told the Hindustan Times that the emergency code related to a suspected hijacking, not a bomb threat.

Singh’s remarks suggested the hijack code may have been activated inadvertently, although local investigators have yet to determine the cause.

So far, no one has confirmed that an actual hijacking attempt was made against the Air India flight.

Air India has not issued an official statement about the incident.