Drone sighting halts flights at Imphal airport; ops resume after security clearance

Imphal, Oct 6: Flight operations were temporarily suspended at the Imphal airport in Manipur on Monday afternoon after a drone was sighted, raising security concerns, officials said.

An IndiGo flight from Agartala to Imphal reported the drone around 2 pm on its final approach path from the city side, at an altitude between 3,600 and 4,000 feet, they said.

Flight operations at the airport were temporarily suspended as a precautionary safety measure, they added. "Normal operations resumed only after necessary security clearance was obtained from the state police," an official said.

Shivkanta Singh, Superintendent of Police, Imphal West, while urging the public not to fly drones in the area adjacent to the airport, said, “If anybody knows about anyone flying a drone in between Sanjenthong to Kwakeithel, please inform immediately to bring it down. It’s affecting flight movement”.

Issuing a strong advisory, the airport authorities urged the people to not operate drone in the vicinity, including Imphal City (East & West), Nambol, and Bishnupur.

Officials further warned that unauthorised drone activities not only endanger aircraft safety but could also trigger temporary airport closures, causing severe inconvenience to passengers.

They cautioned that violations of drone regulations will invite strict legal action under applicable laws. “Ensuring the safety and security of passengers and aircraft remains our highest priority,” the airport authority said.

With inputs from PTI