A London-bound Air India plane went silent flying over Europe prompting the scrambling of fighter jets to assist.
The Dreamliner Boeing 787-800 with 231 passengers and 18 crew members lost contact with air traffic control above Hungary due to radio ‘frequency fluctuation’ an airline spokesman said.
This is the second such incident involving an Indian carrier in less than a month.
In February a Jet Airways flight was momentarily escorted by German military jets after being on the wrong radio frequency.
That prompted a brusque communication from Jet Airways’ management to all pilots to follow correct communications protocol.
"Radio communication is a critical link in the pilot – ATC communication system. However, it can be broken with surprising speed and disastrous results," it said.
Air India is conducting an inquiry, The Hindu reports.
