Port Louis: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s flight from Trivandrum to Mauritius went off the radar for nearly 14 minutes on Saturday, leaving the authorities in a tizzy. Sources said that the flight ‘lost contact’ with the Male Air traffic Control after which an emergency alert was put out. However, despite the flight going incommunicado, authorities insisted that it does not comprise as a ‘mid-air scare.’
“Indian Air Force Flight IFC31 carrying Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, departed from Trivandrum at 1408 IST for Mauritius. The aircraft changed over from Indian airspace to Male ATC which then established contact with the aircraft at 1644 IST. However, IFC 31 could not contact Mauritius ATC after entering Mauritius airspace. Mauritius ATC then
activated INCERFA (the uncertainty phase). Later at 1658 IST, IFC 31 came in contact with Mauritius ATC and landed,” a spokesperson from Airport Authority of India said. Swaraj is headed for a five-day trip to South Africa. She made a transit halt in Mauritius where she met Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth