Pune: Real estate tycoon Donald Trump and his entourage had a taste of Indian defence rules after his personal jet, a Boeing 757-200, was denied permission to fly to Pune as per their convenience.
Trump was to fly out of Mumbai, where he stayed overnight, at 9 am on Tuesday. Even as his customised 43-seater was prepared for take-off, Lohegaon Airport denied permission. The Indian Air Force (IAF)-run airport permits an aircraft with any foreign national on board to land only if it has been pre-cleared by the IAF headquarters in Delhi as per rules.
Senior Mumbai airport officials said the airports Movement Liason Unit (MLU), operated by IAF to ensure co-ordination between civilian and defence flying, was approached for permission to land in Pune. "However, permission was sought just as it would have been for a regular flight without foreigners," the official said.
After realising the paper work involved, Trump's flight staff started gathering photocopies of documents. "They were completely unprepared for the documentation. It took two hours to get everything cleared by IAF headquarters," a senior airport official said.
14/08/14 Pune Mirror
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Trump was to fly out of Mumbai, where he stayed overnight, at 9 am on Tuesday. Even as his customised 43-seater was prepared for take-off, Lohegaon Airport denied permission. The Indian Air Force (IAF)-run airport permits an aircraft with any foreign national on board to land only if it has been pre-cleared by the IAF headquarters in Delhi as per rules.
Senior Mumbai airport officials said the airports Movement Liason Unit (MLU), operated by IAF to ensure co-ordination between civilian and defence flying, was approached for permission to land in Pune. "However, permission was sought just as it would have been for a regular flight without foreigners," the official said.
After realising the paper work involved, Trump's flight staff started gathering photocopies of documents. "They were completely unprepared for the documentation. It took two hours to get everything cleared by IAF headquarters," a senior airport official said.
14/08/14 Pune Mirror
