The U.S. aircraft which was forced to land at Mumbai airport for entering Indian airspace without mandatory clearance is unlikely to takeoff on Sunday due to the pilot’s duty time limitation.
“The aircraft will not takeoff today as the pilot has crossed his flying duty hours,” a spokesperson of Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) told PTI here.
The U.S. Embassy was arranging for visa documents of the 205 passengers on board.
“The U.S. Embassy is arranging for visa, immigration and staying facilities for all the passengers,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is looking into the legal and technical issues involved in issuance of a fresh YA number (Yankee Alfa number required for civilian aircrafts to fly on international routes) to the U.S. aircraft.
“We are examining whether a fresh YA number can be issued or not,” a DGCA source said.
The U.S. chartered plane with 205 passengers, including U.S. Marine commandos, on board was on its way from Fujairah in Middle East to Bangkok when it was forced to land in Mumbai while overflying Indian airspace.
