A routine Air India flight from Delhi to Mumbai turned into a high-stakes security situation on Monday night after a mysterious hijacking alert triggered emergency protocols at two of India’s busiest airports. Even after 48 hours of investigation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) remains unable to determine whether the false hijacking alert received by the Delhi Air Traffic Control (ATC) stemmed from pilot error, ATC misinterpretation, or a technical malfunction in the aircraft’s systems. 

ALERT TRIGGERED: Just four minutes after take-off, at 8.40 pm, Delhi Air Traffic Control receives the international hijacking distress code ‘7500’ from the aircraft’s transponder, setting emergency protocols in motion