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The chartered Boeing 767, which was carrying 205 US marines from Fujairah in UAE to Bangkok, was asked to land at Mumbai after it was found that it did not have clearances from the IAF and External Affairs Ministry to fly over the country.
While the situation was resolved after proper clearances were granted to the flight by the IAF and the External Affairs Ministry after a request from the US, the aircraft was not able to take off on Sunday due to technical reasons. Laws pertaining to air crew rest timings restricted the flight from leaving on Sunday and the aircraft is now expected to take off early on Monday.
The flight was asked to land in Mumbai at 7.52 am by the IAF after personnel monitoring traffic in Indian airspace noticed a discrepancy in the call sign of the aircraft. The chartered flight only had a civilian clearance, whereas it was carrying a contingent of US military personnel, for which another clearance is required. Following the discrepancy, the aircraft was asked to land in Mumbai.
An IAF spokesperson made it clear that the flight landed after it was asked to fly to Mumbai and no fighters had to be scrambled. “The flight had an incorrect call sign and was asked to land in Mumbai,” an IAF official said.
The matter was resolved after the intervention of the US embassy and the flight was granted permission to take off by afternoon. However,
air crew rest requirements
restricted it from taking off
on Sunday.
“We were pleased that we were able to resolve this procedural matter in an expeditious fashion and appreciate the assistance and co-operation of Indian authorities.
The crew and passengers
will be staying the night in Mumbai due to crew rest requirements,” a US embassy official said.
In June, a US military chartered cargo aircraft flying between the American military base of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Afghanistan was also asked to land in Mumbai due to a similar problem. The AN 132 aircraft was only allowed to take off after it was granted clearances from the External Affairs Ministry and the IAF to carry a military cargo over Indian airspace.
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I work for this charter company. Rebuttal: Our plane, if you bothered to actually read the article in its entirety, was traveling OVER India's airspace, with no intention of landing there. You all obviously have no knowledge about flying, flight plans, routes, ETOPS, or the like.Why would we not bring troops back home to the US, to see their families??? HELLOOOOO!I'm not condoning the fact that they didn't have the proper clearance to travel over India's airspace for one second. To be frank, it's just stupid and careless that they didn't. The fact is the company is a CHARTER company, which means, we are hired by organizations to transport, whether it be military or civilian.And the pilots and crew are regular civilians, so why in heck would you want them to be strip searched?! It just looks like you're trying to instigate and cause unnecessary drama. Get your facts straight before you comment on things like this.
It has nothing to do with anyone being a super power.. The charter flight was just to transport troops from one point to another. OBVIOUSLY, the airline had to follow rules of the airspace they were in if they didn't have the correct call sign. All it is is an error on the part of the dispatchers in the US for not having the proper clearance in advance. Get over yourselves!
This kind of act clearly shows the superior work by IAF . No one , even US , can dare to violate rules and regulations of India . Well done , IAF !!! cheers
I think this is a good time to strip search all the marines, pilots. Interrogate them and ask them about their intentions as to why they were going to US? Why via India etc. etc. That should catch some attention from US. I am not writing from India. I am writing from US..
That no one can play with national sovereignty has been best exemplified by this act! Not even the Mighty US can afford to play with India, the upcoming Super Power!