A security alert was up for the air traffic control unit of the Mumbai airport on Saturday, when five parachute like objects were spotted nearing the main runway.
The pilots lined up for take-off and landing were asked to be cautious since they were crossing the runway intersection.
Two Jet Airways flights, 9W-326 and 9W-323 were asked to abort landing and hold position respectively, on the airstrip due to the spotted parachutes.
IMD officials said that weather balloons are set off every day, but such an incident has never occurred.”These balloons fly at an altitude much higher than the touchdown levels used by scheduled flights. Therefore there are slim chances of them coming in the way of air traffic,” said SG Kamble, director of radar, IMD Mumbai airport bureau to HT .
The parachutes have not yet been traced and even the officials are clueless about their landing. The matter has been brought to the notice of Mumbai’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Deven Bharti.