The chartered business jet transporting Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, took a detour to avoid Pakistani airspace on its final leg to Delhi, signaling not just logistical planning but also a reflection of the tense diplomatic relationship between India and Pakistan.
The Gulfstream G550, a luxury ultra-long-range business jet, departed from Miami, Florida, at 2:15 am local time on Wednesday (11:45 am IST) and landed in Bucharest, Romania, around 7 pm local time (9:30 pm IST). The flight halted for nearly 11 hours before continuing to New Delhi on Thursday morning.
Notably, the jet did not fly over Pakistani airspace during its journey to India, opting for a longer route, possibly via Central Asia and the Gulf region. This avoidance is significant given that most commercial and business flights between the US and India routinely use Pakistani airspace. On the return leg to the United Arab Emirates, however, the same jet did fly over Pakistan, suggesting that the detour was specific to the sensitive nature of the extradition mission.
This move comes amid ongoing strain in India-Pakistan ties, particularly over terrorism and India’s 2019 abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Though both countries reopened their airspaces to civilian flights following the 2019 Pulwama-Balakot standoff, certain high-profile or politically sensitive flights—like this one—continue to take alternate routes, perhaps for security or diplomatic reasons.
Rana, who is of Pakistani origin and a Canadian citizen, was formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) upon arrival in Delhi around 6:30 pm IST on Thursday. He has been remanded in custody till April 29. His extradition from the United States, following years of legal proceedings, marks a significant development in the Mumbai attacks investigation, as Indian agencies believe Rana played a pivotal role in facilitating reconnaissance and logistics for David Headley, the Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba operative involved in the attacks.
The jet used for this operation belongs to a Vienna-based private charter company, indicating the high-security and confidential nature of the mission.
