This morning, a bomb fear on an Iranian passenger flight that was travelling through Indian airspace put officials on high alert and caused the Indian Air Force to launch fighter fighters.
The Mahan Air plane was given two chances to land in India as it was its route from Tehran, Iran, to Guangzhou, China, according to the Air Force. It declined both opportunities and continued on its course.
They claimed in a statement that the fighter jets followed the aircraft at a safe distance. As of right moment, the plane has entered Chinese airspace, according to flight tracking service Flightradar.
According to authorities, a call about the bomb threat on the flight was received at 9:20 am. Following that, a warning was issued for the Delhi airport.
“The aircraft was offered the option to land at Jaipur and then, at Chandigarh. However, the pilot declared his unwillingness to divert to either of the two airports,” said the Indian Air Force.
According to their statement, after being instructed by Tehran to dismiss the bomb alarm, the aeroplane carried on to its destination in China.
“All actions were taken by IAF as per the laid down procedure, jointly with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The aircraft was under close radar surveillance by the Air Force throughout the Indian airspace,” it said.
According to news agency PTI, the Lahore Air Traffic Control informed the Delhi ATC about the suspected bomb threat.