Bomb threat made on Iran-China plane but pilot refuses to land

A bomb threat was made on a flight from Iran to China this morning, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has reported.

The threat was made onboard an Air Mahan service from Tehran to Guangzhou at around 9.20am local time in India, said the IAF, with local airports put on alert for a diversion.

Initially the pilot of the flight asked for permission to land in Delhi, which they were denied.

The IAF said the pilot then refused two further opportunities to land at other Indian airports.

The alert prompted the Indian Air Force to scramble fighter jets, which followed the aircraft at a safe distance as it proceeded through Indian airspace.

“On 3 October, intimation was received of a bomb scare on an airline bearing Iranian registration, when it was transiting through Indian airspace. IAF fighter aircraft were scrambled, which followed the aircraft at a safe distance,” said an IAF statement released this morning.

“Aircraft was offered option to land at Jaipur and then, at Chandigarh. But pilot declared his unwillingness to divert to either of them,” it continued.

“After a while intimation was received from Tehran to disregard bomb scare. Aircraft continued on its journey towards final destination.

“All actions were taken by IAF as per laid down procedure, jointly with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

“The aircraft was under close radar surveillance by the Air Force throughout the Indian airspace.”

Private passenger and cargo carrier Mahan Air is based in Iran and was established in 1992.

The IAF’s two Su-30MKI fighter jets were mobilised from its Punjab and Jodhpur air bases.

The Independent has contacted Mahan Air for comment.

Last week fighter jets rushed to escort a Singapore Airlines plane as it came in to land in Singapore, after a passenger onboard claimed to have a bomb in his hand luggage.

The threat, made on board flight SQ33 from San Francisco, was later found to be a hoax.

In July, a similar incident occured aboard an easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Menorca, when passengers were shocked to see a fighter jet fly alongside their plane to the Balearic island.