Air France Plane Intercepted by India

The Indian air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to intercept an Air France passenger plane after it failed to identify itself correctly, the Indian air force says.The Bangkok-bound flight from Paris had entered Indian airspace from Pakistan. The pilot had used the wrong Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) code, which allows ground radars to differentiate between friendly and enemy aircraft. The MiG was told to “break off and return to base” when the correct code was given, an air force official said.

Flight Lt Priya Joshi also told the AFP news agency that a report had been filed with India’s civil aviation authorities over the incident. The Air France Airbus-343 had entered India above Amritsar, in the north-west of the country, early on Thursday morning.The Indian air force has stepped up security along the border with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 170 people.