AAIB probing airprox incident involving EL AL, Qatar Airways planes over Arabian sea

PTI, Sep 30, 2024, 4:53 PM IST

Representative image (source: iStock)

New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing an airprox incident involving planes of EL AL Israel Airlines and Qatar Airways over the Arabian Sea in March this year and the agency is analysing the data pertaining to the aircraft and flight crew.

Generally, airprox or air proximity refers to two planes being closer in the airspace beyond the mandated separation requirement.

On March 24, the minimum separation between the two planes was lateral 9.1 nautical miles or around 1 minute of each other whereas the standard separation should have been 10 minutes, according to AAIB’s preliminary report on the incident.

The incident took place in the Mumbai Flight Information Regions (FIR).

EL AL Israel Airlines’ Boeing 777 aircraft was flying from Israel to Bangkok while Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 plane was operating from Doha to Male.

AAIB is investigating the incident as it happened in the Mumbai Flight Information Region.

In the preliminary report, AAIB said evidence collected during the Airport Authority of India, Mumbai ATS unit visit are being analysed.

“Documents and data received from M/s EL AL Israel Airlines Ltd. and Qatar Airways pertaining to the involved aircraft and flight crew are being analysed,” it added.