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Central & South Asia
India forces US jet to land
Confusion over call sign sees plane carrying US marines briefly grounded in Mumbai.
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2009 04:10 GMT
The chartered US military plane was cleared to resume its flight to Bangkok [EPA]

Indian authorities have forced a US plane with more than 200 US marines on board to land in Mumbai for allegedly violating its airspace.

The chartered North American Airlines jet was diverted to Mumbai's main airport while flying in Indian airspace on its way to Bangkok, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said, and only had civilian clearance from Indian authorities.

The Indian air force after an investigation allowed the Boeing 767 to take-off and resume its journey.

A US embassy official who declined to be named said he was aware of the situation and that the grounding was a "routine matter".

"We are pleased that we were able to resolve this procedural matter in an expeditious fashion, and appreciate the assistance and cooperation of Indian authorities," said the official, who did not give details on the confusion.

Pilots use a call sign to identify themselves and confirm that they are authorised to enter a country's airspace.

The PTI news agency said the chartered plane came from the Middle East with 205 marine commandos, all of whom stayed on the aircraft pending official clearance.
Source:
Agencies
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