*ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Air Force F – 16 fighter jets scrambled to chaseand intercept the Indian plane, media report had revealed. *
Indian aircraft on its way to Kabul from New Delhi with was intercepted byPakistan Air Force fighter jets which then escorted the airliner out of thecountry’s airspace last month, sources in the Directorate General of CivilAviation (DGCA) said today. The incident took place on September 23.
According to DGCA officials, there was confusion over the “call-sign”assigned to the Boeing 737 aircraft when it entered Pakistani airspaceprompting the interception.
The aircraft was asked to lower its altitude by the Pakistani Air Forcefighters, which news agency ANI reported were F-16s.
The pilots of the SpiceJet flight communicated with Pakistani Air Forcefighters, identifying themselves as a commercial airliner.
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The Spicejet aircraft was allowed to continue its flight and was escorteduntil it entered Afghan airspace.
DGCA officials declined to share further details given the sensitivity ofthe matter.
