A hijack scare on a Kandahar-bound flight sent security officials at Delhi airport into a tizzy on Saturday after the pilot “mistakenly” pressed the “hijack button” as the plane taxied for take-off, sources said.

The Ariana Afghan Airlines plane took off nearly two hours later after “satisfactory” security checks, they said.

There was no immediate official reaction, but the sources said the pressing of the hijack button had pushed all agencies concerned, including the anti-terror force National Security Guard, into action.

NSG commandos and officials of other agencies responded to the situation and surrounded the aircraft, they said, triggering panic among passengers on board. The Delhi-Kandahar flight FG312, scheduled to depart at 3.30pm, was cleared for take-off after a two-hour operation.