On 19th November (Sunday), an unidentified object, reportedly a drone, was detected in the vicinity of the Imphal Airport. The spotting sparked a sensation and the security measures were enhanced while both Police and airport authorities were reportedly on high alert.
Following the incident, the authorities responded by shutting down the airspace in and around Imphal for over three hours. This disrupted flight services and left passengers stranded. The decision to suspend all flight operations was made due to concerns regarding potential threats or security breaches, pending a comprehensive assessment to ensure safety.
According to the Northeast live report, airspace over Imphal airport was shut since 2:30 PM today after an unidentified flying object was sighted at a high altitude. The sightings were reportedly above the Imphal airport. The Indian Air Force is ascertaining the situation. The authorities are looking into whether it is an act of some anti-India elements. They are probing whether there is a possibility of any security threat from the unidentified drone.
According to the TV9 Bangla, the initial report stated that an unidentified drone was spotted by airport security personnel on Sunday afternoon.
A press release issued by the airport director said, “Due sighting of an unidentified flying object within Imphal controlled Airspace, two flights have been diverted and three departing flights have been delayed. Flight operations commence after receipt of clearance from competent authority.”
As a result of the suspension of operations at the airport, a few flights were cancelled to and from Imphal, and other incoming flights were turned back from Imphal airspace and diverted to other destinations. This included two IndiGo flights originating from Kolkata and Delhi were diverted. Instead of landing in Imphal, both aircraft touched down at Guwahati airport. A flight from Guwahati was sent back to Guwahati after it hovered over Imphal for around 25 minutes.
On the other hand, three flights scheduled to depart Imphal were not allowed to take off. Around 1000 passengers were stranded at the airport as a result.
Reportedly the blockade was lifted in the evening, and the stranded flights took off one by one at around 6 PM. The airport authority had awaited security clearance from CISF, local Police and IAF Eastern command to restart aircraft operations from Imphal airport. The Air Traffic Control and Airport Authority of India gave clearance at 5:45 pm after sanitization of air space. As per inputs, the flights were 80 per cent empty as passengers cancelled their flights and rescheduled for tomorrow.
The incident unfolded soon after the Manipur government extended the internet services ban by an extra five days until November 23. This decision was made in response to the difficult law and order situation in the state, which has been adversely impacted by incidents of violence.