A SpiceJet flight travelling from New Delhi to Kabul was intercepted by two Pakistani F-16s in September while over Pakistani airspace, according to an ANI report.
The flight, SG-21, had 120 passengers on board when two F-16s flanked it on either side. ANI reported a passenger saying that the fighter-jet’s pilot signalled to the SpiceJet pilot to lower his altitude.
The incident took place after Pakistani Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) mixed up the call-sign for SpiceJet (SG) with that of the Indian Army (IA). F-16s were launched after the ATC reported that an Indian Army plane may have been over Pakistani airspace.
At the time, Pakistani airspace was open to Indian flights, after months of tension between the two sides following the Balakot strikes. ANI reported that the SpiceJet captain had told the F-16 pilots, "This is SpiceJet, Indian commercial aircraft, which carries passengers and is going to Kabul as per schedule."
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), however, reported that the confusion was cleared up and that the Pakistani fighters escorted the passenger plane until it exited their country’s airspace.
The flight was delayed for five hours once it landed in Kabul, as Pakistani embassy officials gathered the paperwork required to clear the incident.
