'Illegal' foreign planes in airspace a worry

New Delhi: Many foreign-registered aircraft are making unrestricted flights in Indian airspace without the knowledge of the country's security establishment. The startling finding came to light during the Customs department's ongoing investigation in the Rs 9,000 crore aircraft scam.
Sources said both Customs and security agencies were probing these aircraft and the destinations they had covered in India and if national security had been compromised in any manner.
So far, the probe agencies have dug out details of at least six aircraft — one Boeing 727, three Challenger make aircraft, a Lear jet and a Gulf Stream — registered abroad but freely operating across India in violation of norms. It was found that most of these foreign-registered aircraft were being piloted by expatriates whose security clearance had allegedly not been done by agencies, a mandatory provision in case a foreign national is hired to fly aircraft in India, sources said.
As per rules, a foreign-registered aircraft can enter Indian airspace for "a flight to or across India". If it has to make a halt for some purpose, prior permission has to be taken from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
However, permission to halt is given on the condition that the aircraft will not make trips within the country and will remain stationary till its flight back, sleuths investigating the case said.
In any case, the permission for halt cannot be for more than six months. But, sources said, these aircraft had come into the country and gone back and re-entered Indian airspace, making several sorties within the country using different airports, like the AN-26 aircraft that was involved in the Purulia arms drop case in 1995.
15/09/08 Pradeep Thakur/Times of India

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Categories: Foreign Sep 2008, Safety Sep 2008