Rohit Pawar Alleges Serious Security Lapse in Eknath Shinde's 2023 Davos Flight
In a startling revelation, Rohit Pawar has alleged that a VSR charter flight carrying then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was forced to make an emergency turnback from Iraqi airspace to Bahrain during a trip to the Davos summit in January 2023. The incident, which Pawar claims put the CM's life at risk, occurred because the aircraft lacked prior permission to fly over Iraq.
Flight Details and the Alleged Security Breach
According to sources, the aircraft departed from Mumbai at 11:50 PM IST on January 15, 2023, and landed in Bahrain at 12:47 AM local time on January 16. It then took off from Bahrain at 2:30 AM but, after entering Iraqi airspace, was compelled to turn back due to the absence of overflight clearance. The plane landed again in Bahrain at 4 AM.
"The aircraft was treated as an unidentified aircraft by Iraqi authorities, and a security concern was raised. The plane had to do an air turnback and return to Bahrain," Rohit Pawar stated. He emphasized the gravity of the situation, adding, "If VSR could treat a flight carrying a CM like this, it shows how negligent the company is with its flight operations."
Overflight Clearance: A Critical Legal Requirement
Overflight clearance is a mandatory legal prerequisite before entering any country's sovereign airspace. Each nation establishes its norms based on recommendations from the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Annex 6. The clearance, issued by the civil aviation regulator or airport authority, permits an aircraft to overfly without landing while utilizing and paying for navigation facilities.
A senior commander explained, "Entering a country's airspace without prior clearance is treated as a serious security violation because unidentified aircraft can be perceived as potential threats. Air defence systems may scramble fighter aircraft or force the aircraft to exit the airspace immediately."
For instance, to overfly Indian airspace on a foreign aircraft, charter operators must apply to the Airports Authority of India at least three working days in advance.
Revised Route and Regulatory Questions
After the turnback, the aircraft remained on the ground in Bahrain for over two hours while the charter company filed a fresh flight plan. It eventually took off at 6:57 AM local time and continued to Zurich via a revised route that overflew Iran over the Zagros mountains.
Rohit Pawar has questioned the response of aviation regulators, specifically asking why the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not initiated an investigation into the incident. "This is a serious security lapse, but there has been no investigation, nothing," he asserted, highlighting concerns over accountability and safety protocols in charter flight operations.
The allegations underscore potential vulnerabilities in flight planning and regulatory oversight, raising broader issues about security and negligence in aviation practices involving high-profile passengers.
