Bomb threat on China-bound Iranian passenger plane, IAF scrambles jets

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday scrambled Su-30MKI fighter jets from Punjab and Jodhpur airbases to shadow an Iranian Mahan Air flight en route to Guangzhou in China from Tehran after its pilot was asked to land in Jaipur or Chandigarh following inputs from the Delhi Police about a possible bomb threat on board.

The pilot chose to continue the flight to China as jets shadowed the aircraft till it left the Indian airspace. News agency ANI reported the Mahan Air aircraft was moving towards New Delhi airspace when it was asked to divert.

The aircraft had entered Indian airspace when the alert from Indian Air Traffic Control (ATC) was shared with the pilot.

According to Flightradar24, a Swedish internet-based service that shows real-time aircraft flight tracking information on a map, the Iranian plane reduced altitude over the Delhi-Jaipur airspace briefly before making its way out of Indian airspace.

ANI quoted unnamed ATC sources and said Mahan Air requested for immediate landing at the Delhi airport. But Delhi ATC directed it to head to Jaipur or Chandigarh. The nature of the threat was immediately unclear.