Flight services in Imphal were hampered a few days ago due to an unusual occurrence. According to press sources, an unidentified flying object (UFO) was spotted in the skies, causing three flights to be delayed and two planes to be diverted.
An officer reported the event to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), prompting the Indian Air Force Eastern Command to respond.
According to Airport Director Chipemmi Keishing, the UFO sighting occurred within Imphal’s regulated airspace, causing two flights to be diverted and three outgoing flights to be delayed. Normalization of air operations took about three hours after gaining clearance from the appropriate authority.
Imphal is located in Manipur, one of northeast India’s seven sister states, and has domestic borders with Nagaland, Mizoram, and Assam. It also shares an international border with Myanmar to the east.
The UFO, which was visible with the naked eye and was apparently heading west of the airstrip, triggered the diversion of an Indigo Airlines flight from Kolkata to Imphal, which was diverted to Guwahati after a 25-minute delay. During the UFO sighting, the delayed flights were disrupted for at least three hours.
In reaction to the occurrence, the Indian Air Force (IAF) sent two Rafale fighter planes from a nearby air base to look for the UFO, which was outfitted with advanced sensors for low-level flight over the suspected location. However, the search produced no results. Based on visual inputs from Imphal airport, the IAF Eastern Command initiated its Air Defence response system; however, the small object was not observed again after the initial sighting.
According to reports, the responsible agencies are currently analyzing recordings captured by witnesses in order to learn more about the UFO occurrence. Authorities will shed light on this odd event that briefly interrupted the sky over Imphal as investigations begin.