Indian High Commission Clarifies Alleged Unauthorized Helicopter Landing in Maldives

 

Over claims made by a Maldivian government official over the "unauthorized landing of an Indian helicopter in October 2019," the Indian High Commission has provided clarification. The Indian side said in a statement issued on Tuesday that a Maldivian government representative had misrepresented that the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) had not granted clearance for a helicopter to land at Thimarafushi (Thaa Atoll).

Defense Minister Ghassan revealed that he was aware of an unauthorized flight by one of the aircraft platforms during a press conference on Saturday in Malé. He brought up an incident at Thimarafushi when one of the two helicopters flown by Indian military troops in the Maldives was said to have landed there without authorization. When he was a lawmaker, he stated that the issue was examined by the Parliament's Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee). The Indian mission refuted this accusation, nevertheless.

"In response to a media query on comments made during the Maldivian government's press conference on May 11, 2024, regarding the alleged unauthorized landing by an Indian ALH platform: Indian aviation platforms in the Maldives have always operated according to agreed procedures and with proper authorization from the MNDF," stated the Indian High Commission in the country.

The Maldivian government mentioned an occurrence on October 9, 2019, during which a chopper was in flight. This was stressed by the Indian government. It said the chopper had to make an emergency landing at Thimarafushi because of an unforeseen demand. It further stated that in order to protect the crew and platform, the helicopter made its landing only after receiving the required ground clearance from ATC.

The Maldives Coast Guard's Colonel Mohammad Salim allegedly sent an email to the Commander of the Indian Naval contingent stationed in the Maldives claiming, "An instance of IN-706, one of the two helicopters operated by the Indian military in the Maldives, landing in Thimarafushi without MNDF permission." This information was reported in a report published by The Maldives Journal on November 14, 2021. According to the report, Colonel Salim sent the email on October 17, 2019.

The senior pilot on that aircraft, Lieutenant Commander Vinod, was said to have agreed to this in the email. Nevertheless, no reference was made to any correspondence or confirmation demonstrating that the Indian side had received the claims. The letter stated that Maldivian airport authorities had reported the purported illegal landing to MNDF and Coast Guard Aviation.

Colonel Salim stated in a letter at the time that such activities endangered national security and might spark political instability. In order to avoid a repetition in the future, the Colonel further asked that the Indian side adhere to established protocols. The Indian government's explanation, released today, disproved this hypothesis and highlighted the fact that the chopper had landed after according to the required procedures.

Notably, this most recent development happened in the midst of diplomatic strains between the two nations after President Mohamed Muizzu, who is supported by China, was appointed in September of last year. Since then, a slew of consecutive accusations against New Delhi has caused a major deterioration in the relationship.