Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 3
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday morning scrambled its fighter jets to intercept a Mahan Air commercial flight following an onboard bomb scare.
The flight had taken off from Tehran in Iran and was heading to Guangzhou in China when the pilot contacted the Delhi Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and informed that airline had received a bomb threat. The flight was transiting through the Indian airspace and the pilot sought an immediate landing at Delhi.
IAF fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MKI was scrambled from the Punjab and Jodhpur airbases soon after getting the message. The IAF said, “The pilot was offered the option to land at Jaipur or Chandigarh. However, he declared his unwillingness to divert to either of the two airports.”
The crew was told to circle in the airspace west of Delhi with the Sukhoi’s in proximity, sources added.
“After a while, intimation was received from Tehran to disregard the bomb scare, following which, the aircraft continued on its journey towards its final destination…The aircraft was under close radar surveillance by the Air Force throughout the Indian airspace,” the IAF said.
All actions were according to the laid down procedure, jointly with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the IAF added.
