US fighter jets endanger passenger aircraft safety in Mumbai skies

US Air Force fighter jets have been crisscrossing over international routes in Mumbai airspace, without forwarding the flight plan to the Mumbai Air Traffic Control (ATC). The aircraft, mainly bombers, cannot be detected by ATC radar. What this means is that these jets have come perilously close to passenger aircraft, narrowly escaping collision. Nearly 10 international routes into south and east Africa use this flight path, which sees around 40 flights every day.
“The US jets do not submit any flight plan and are undetected by radar. It’s a major accident waiting to happen if any of these supersonic jets collide with a civilian aircraft,” said a senior air traffic official from New Delhi.
Highly-placed ATC officials from New Delhi revealed that India has lodged an official complaint to the US government, through diplomatic channels.
The jets, which originate from the US naval and air base, Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, cross into the Mumbai Flight Information Region (FIR) without prior intimation.
06/05/06 Kashif Khusro/Mid-Day Mumbai

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