Operations halted at Delhi airport after drone spotted nearby
Operations at Delhi's IGI airport were halted for about 20 minutes this morning after a drone-like object was spotted nearby, reported HT. At least 15 flights were delayed as operations shut down from 7:30am to 7:50am. Earlier, the MHA warned of 'airborne terror threats': terror outfits have newer modes of operation including small drones, Chinese lanterns and paragliding equipment, it had said.
What happened?
An IndiGo pilot noticed a flying object about four nautical miles away from IGI as they were landing, a CISF official said. All three runways were immediately shut down and teams of CISF, Delhi Police and aviation security rushed to inspect the area. Operations resumed after they found nothing suspicious. Flying of unmanned objects is prohibited in areas near airports.
Drones have been sighted near IGI several times
In August, operations at IGI were suspended twice after two different pilots reported seeing a UFO near the airport. Last year, three similar incidents were reported. In 2015, there were two such cases. According to reports, the IGI handles about 1,200 flights daily - up to 70 per hour during peak time.
