AirAsia India pilot error sparks hijack fears
An AirAsia India pilot unintentionally caused a stir after sending a hijack alert to air traffic control by mistake.
The pilot of the Delhi to Srinagar flight detected an unrelated technical glitch and entered the hijack code in error.
That got security agencies scrambling to respond on the ground as the flight was diverted to Chandigarh.
Another jet then took the 175 passengers to Srinagar.
A Central Industrial Security Force official confirmed the drama which involved various agencies including the Delhi Police and the National Security Guard.
"Since Chandigarh was the nearest airport, the flight was provided a slot on priority and it made a safe landing," the unnamed official said.
"An alert cannot be ignored once it is sent, until security agencies give a clearance after inspection."
The directorate general of civil aviation was made aware of the incident and is conducting an investigation.
"We place safety and security foremost in all aspects of operations and apologise for the inconvenience caused," the airline said in a statement.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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