India scrambles fighter jets after report of bomb scare on flight

India’s air force (IAF) said on Monday it had scrambled fighter jets after receiving information of a bomb scare on an airline bearing Iranian registration transiting through Indian airspace.

The air force said it later received information from Iran’s capital Tehran to disregard the bomb scare and the flight continued its journey.

The jets followed the aircraft at a safe distance and the aircraft was offered the option to land at two airports in north-western India.

“However, the pilot declared his unwillingness to divert to either of the two airports,” the IAF said in a statement.

Data from FlightRadar24 showed Mahan Air flight W581, which originated from Tehran and was destined for China’s Guangzhou, fly in circles a handful of times above northern India, west of New Delhi, before continuing to fly across the country and into Myanmar.

An Indian Air Force spokesman did not confirm the flight number for which fighter jets were scrambled.