Drone spotted near IGI Airport runway in New Delhi

The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport of Delhi recently was put on high alert after an unidentified flying object was spotted at the airport. The air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the airport have been regularly spotting suspicious objects flying over the airport, according to media reports.

On October 27, ATC noticed a drone-like object flying over the runway but it has no visual proof to support its claim. Reportedly, the Indian Air Force (IAF) tried to track down the object by sending a chopper but could not find anything.

On October 28 night, Air Vistara flight from Bhubaneswar also complained of being distracted by a beam of laser light while it was landing at IGI. Pilot also claimed that the object was six nautical miles away from the flight. There were more than 100 lives at risk in that flight.

At 10:44 a.m. on October 30, a member of the IAF who sits at the ATC tower of IGI airport noticed a flying object over runway 9-27, also known as the smallest runway of Delhi airport. He reported two more objects at 10:50 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. which were flying outside the airport boundary. But this time also they did not get any evidence.

As per the reports, a meeting was conducted between the Intelligence Bureau, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Bureau for Civil Aviation Security with Delhi Police so as to ensure the regular watch on such aerial threats.

Under Section 144 of CrPC it is prohibited to use laser beams and fly any object by any individual or a group in areas around the airport.