Mahan Air bomb threat: IAF says Pilot refused to land plane in Jaipur, Chandigarh

While the Mahan Air pilot requested to land in Delhi at the IGI Airport, IAF and ATC gave them an option to land at the Jaipur and Chandigarh airports, which they refused.

As per a recent statement issued by the Indian Air Force over the potential bomb threat over the Indian airspace, the pilot of the Mahan Air flight refused to land the airliner in Chandigarh and Jaipur and chose to fly towards China instead. The pilot of Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Guangzhou, China reported a bomb threat when the plane was passing over the Indian airspace. While the pilot requested to land in Delhi at the IGI Airport, IAF and ATC gave them an option to land at the Jaipur and Chandigarh airports in the vicinity of the Delhi Airport. 

The pilot, refused the call and continued his journey towards China, as per the IAF. However, as per the laid down procedure, jointly with 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.

On 03 October 2022, intimation was received of a bomb scare on an airline bearing Iranian registration, when it was transiting through Indian airspace. IAF fighter aircraft were scrambled, which followed the aircraft at a safe distance.

"The aircraft was offered the option to land at Jaipur & then, at Chandigarh. However, the pilot declared his unwillingness to divert to either of the two airports. 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," said IAF.

The foreign aircraft was headed to China as its final destination, had entered Indian airspace when the alert from Indian Air Traffic Control was shared with the plane. Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter jets from Punjab and Jodhpur airbases were scrambled to intercept the plane, sources told ANI.