German, Belgian Fighter Jets Scrambled To Escort London-Bound Air India Flight

German and Belgian fighter jets were scrambled to apprehend and escort a London-bound Air India aircraft that had lost contact with the Air Traffic Control (ATC).

For about two hours Hungarian, German and Belgian pilots shadowed the 787 Dreamliner. The plane left Ahmedabad in Gujarat overnight, Daily Mail reported Friday.

The plane lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) while flying over Hungarian airspace, following which it was escorted by fighter jets. "The Dreamliner Boeing 787-800 with 231 passengers and 18 crew members lost contact with the ATC due to “frequency fluctuation”, an AI spokesperson said.

The aircraft, which took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport in Ahmedabad morning, landed safely at London’s Heathrow Airport at 11.05 a.m. local time, the spokesperson said. As by the time the plane entered British skies, the fault was rectified and the Royal Air Force (RAF) of Britain was not required to escort the plane.

This is the second such incident in one month. On February 16, Jet Airways flight 9W-118 from Mumbai lost communication with the Germany’s ATC on its way to London.