<p>A Mirage 2000 was scrambled on Tuesday, as the Joint Control and Analysis Centre (JCAC) went into high alert as a commercial aircraft flying to the national capital lost control with air traffic control. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Fearing a hijack situation as the aircraft lost communication with Air Traffic Control at Palam, the Mirage jet was deployed to track the aircraft according to a senior Indian Air Force officer quoted in <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rogue-plane-forces-indian-air-force-to-scramble-mirage-2000/article1-1327862.aspx">Hindustan Times</a>.<br /><br />The aircraft was found flying towards the no-fly zone areas surrounding the VVIP areas of Delhi which include Rastrapati Bhavan and 7 RCR, the Prime Minister's residence. <br /><br />According to reports in <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rogue-plane-forces-indian-air-force-to-scramble-mirage-2000/article1-1327862.aspx">Hindustan Times</a>, The JCAC, which monitors all aircraft movement in this sector, alerted the Gwalior air base about the suspicious Delhi-bound plane at 4.38 pm and by 4.41 pm, the air force had scrambled a Mirage 2000 fighter to intercept the plane.<br /><br />A radio failure was reported to have caused the radio silence from the aircraft which was identified as a Alliance Air flight by Delhi ATC. Following the identification the Mirage returned to Gwalior and the commercial jet carried on the Delhi.<br /><br />Following the hijack of IC-814 in 1999 and the 9/11 attacks in 2001 the government tightened it's anti-hijack policy which allows for commercial aircraft to be shot down in case of a hijack situation, to avoid them being used as missiles.</p>
<p>A Mirage 2000 was scrambled on Tuesday, as the Joint Control and Analysis Centre (JCAC) went into high alert as a commercial aircraft flying to the national capital lost control with air traffic control. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Fearing a hijack situation as the aircraft lost communication with Air Traffic Control at Palam, the Mirage jet was deployed to track the aircraft according to a senior Indian Air Force officer quoted in <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rogue-plane-forces-indian-air-force-to-scramble-mirage-2000/article1-1327862.aspx">Hindustan Times</a>.<br /><br />The aircraft was found flying towards the no-fly zone areas surrounding the VVIP areas of Delhi which include Rastrapati Bhavan and 7 RCR, the Prime Minister's residence. <br /><br />According to reports in <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rogue-plane-forces-indian-air-force-to-scramble-mirage-2000/article1-1327862.aspx">Hindustan Times</a>, The JCAC, which monitors all aircraft movement in this sector, alerted the Gwalior air base about the suspicious Delhi-bound plane at 4.38 pm and by 4.41 pm, the air force had scrambled a Mirage 2000 fighter to intercept the plane.<br /><br />A radio failure was reported to have caused the radio silence from the aircraft which was identified as a Alliance Air flight by Delhi ATC. Following the identification the Mirage returned to Gwalior and the commercial jet carried on the Delhi.<br /><br />Following the hijack of IC-814 in 1999 and the 9/11 attacks in 2001 the government tightened it's anti-hijack policy which allows for commercial aircraft to be shot down in case of a hijack situation, to avoid them being used as missiles.</p>