Iran-China flight bomb scare: IAF jets scrambled to intercept Mahan Air plane

A possible bomb threat was reported on board an Airbus A340 aircraft operated by Iranian carrier Mahan Air early Monday. The plane was on its way from Tehran to Guangzhou in China when an alert was triggered.

Indian security agencies said that the alert was issued while the plane was in Indian airspace. Indian Air Force jets were scrambled, after the alert.

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According to ANI News, the aircraft initially started its descent from its cruising altitude of 35,000 feet to 21,000 feet, around 200 km west of Delhi. It later entered the Bangladesh airspace and was on its way to China.

“On October 3, 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,” The Indian Air Force said in a statement.

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It added: “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. All actions were taken by IAF as per the laid down procedure, jointly with Ministry of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. The aircraft was under close radar surveillance by the Air Force throughout the Indian airspace.”

The nature of the threat was not clear.