A SpiceJet flight from New Delhi to Kabul with 120 people on board was intercepted last month by Pakistani fighter jets due to a misunderstanding, officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Thursday.
The “call sign” assigned to the Boeing 737 resulted in confusion about whether it was a military or civilian aircraft, said the officials who declined to be named. The incident, which occurred on September 23, ended with the Pakistan Air Force jets escorting the SpiceJet flight out of Pakistani airspace.
One official said Pakistani authorities mistook the SpiceJet flight for a military aircraft. The aircraft was intercepted by two F-16 jets and escorted for almost half an hour.
