A US aircraft with 205 American Marine commandos on board was today made to land at Mumbai airport for allegedly violating the Indian airspace.
A US aircraft with 205 American Marine commandos on board was given take-off clearance by the indian Air Force after it was made to land at Mumbai airport on Sunday morning for allegedly violating the Indian airspace.
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The chartered plane was on its way from Fujiriah in Middle East to Bangkok, an airport official said. The aircraft was using a civilian call sign, officials said.
"A US aircraft with 205 US Marines on board, on its way from Fujiriah to Bangkok, was forced to land in Mumbai while overflying Indian airspace as there was some confusion about its call sign," a Mumbai International Airport Limited spokesperson said.
Giving details of the incident, IAF spokesperson Wing Commander T K Singha told PTI in Delhi that the aircraft is a US military chartered Boeing 767 plane belonging to North American Airlines.
"It is a transport aircraft, which was going to Utapao in Bangkok from Fujiriah in UAE. It had civilian clearance from Directorate General of Civil Aviation to fly over Indian airspace. However, it was carrying military personnel, for which the aircraft should have obtained Air Operation Routing clearance (AOR), needed for a military aircraft," he said.
"Once it entered Indian air space, the IAF ordered the aircraft through radio communication to land in Mumbai, to which it complied with. An inquiry is on in the matter."
The aircraft landed at Mumbai airport at 0752 hours and has been parked at a remote bay.
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