US aircraft forced to land at Mumbai airport

For the second time this year,a US military chartered aircraft was forced to land at the Mumbai airport after it was found that it did not have the required permission to fly over the country.

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.

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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

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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.