The aircraft carrying British Prime Minister David Cameron on his maiden visit to India was caught in a mid-air drama as the computer software installed at IGI airport’s new terminal froze for 30 minutes, promoting a disaster scenario.
The glitch allegedly left all pilots “blind” as aircraft jet was about to land in the Indian capital, The Sun reported on Monday. It said that the new computer software was being installed to prevent mid air collisions.
The special Boeing 747 was also carrying Foreign Secretary William Hague, Chancellor George Osborne, business leaders and sports stars on a two-day jobs mission to India.
Incoming and outgoing flights were disrupted between for 30 minutes as the Autotrac-III system crashed, resulting in the air traffic control (ATC) screens going blank.
Airport officials had to switch over to an emergency back-up system to guide his VIP-packed jet, the report said.
A senior government source told the newspaper last night: “It was some scare, when you consider who else was on board. We could have lost half the Cabinet.”
Also on board were National Security Adviser Sir Peter Ricketts, Olympic heroes Dame Kelly Holmes and Sir Steve Redgrave, Barclays Group chief executive John Varley and BAE Systems chairman Richard Olver.