External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's plane went incommunicado for 14 minutes on way to Mauritius

Sources in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) told Hindustan Times the pilot and Mauritius ATC could not contact each other and the Mauritian air traffic control declared an alert.

Swaraj was traveling from  Trivandrum to Mauritius.

As per the Hindustan Times report,  she had passed Male airspace before the plane went ‘missing’ from radars.

“Indian Air Force Flight IFC31 carrying Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs departed from Trivandrum at 1408 IST for Mauritius. 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),” a spokesperson for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) told the newspaper.

“Later at 1658 IST, IFC 31 came in contact with Mauritius ATC and landed. Mauritius ATC activated INCERFA (uncertainty phase) without allowing the stipulated time period of 30 minutes to lapse from the time when aircraft last contacted ATC. This was perhaps done because the flight was carrying VIP,” the spokesperson added.

Sushma Swaraj visited Mauritius before reaching South Africa where she will attend the foreign ministers meeting of BRICS.

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