GUWAHATI: A purported unidentified flying object was sighted over Imphal airport from 2.30pm to 4.05pm on Sunday, prompting an airspace closure and suspension of all civilian flight operations for over three hours as fighter jets scrambled in response to what the IAFs Eastern Command said were visual inputs.Until 90 minutes before the alert was lifted at 5.35pm, the white flying object was visible from the air traffic control room, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said.The IAF activated its air defence response mechanism at 3.55pm, which continued till 5.35pm.
Flight operations at Imphals Bir Tikendrajit airport resumed at 5.50pm after getting clearance from the IAF.Police, CISF personnel, airline staff and civilians reported seeing the flying object that caused a stir till dusk descended on Imphal.AAI reported that at 2.30pm, Imphal ATC received a telephonic message from the CISF control room about an unidentified object flying over the terminal and moving southwards above the ATC tower, where it remained stationary midair for some time.
Thereafter, it moved southwest of the airfield and was visible till 4.05pm.
As darkness descended, the object became invisible, said AAIs regional executive director Sanmukh Jugani.IndiGos Imphal-Agartala flight, an Imphal-Kolkata Air India plane and an Imphal-Guwahati Air India plane with about 500 passengers were ready for departure around 3pm, but werent cleared for take off because of the commotion.
The flights left for their destinations after operations resumed.An IndiGo Airbus 320 coming from Kolkata to Imphal with 173 passengers hovered over Imphal for some time before it was diverted to Guwahati.
Another Airbus 320 of the airline with 183 passengers on board from Delhi was diverted to Kolkata.
Airport officials wouldnt say if the flying object appeared on the radar.
We havent been able to identify it yet.
Lets wait and see if it shows up again on Monday, an AAI official said.Sources said the DGCA and the defence authorities were likely to separately investigate the sighting.