Jet Airways flight 9W 118, carrying 330 passengers and travelling to London from Mumbai, was intercepted on February 16 by fighter jets after it lost contact with air traffic control above German airspace, causing a huge security scare.

It was presumed that the aircraft had been taken over by terrorists, and a high alert was sounded. Contact was eventually re-established through an SOS channel after the fighters intercepted the plane.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Goverment of India, has ordered an inquiry. “Contact between Jet Airways flight 9W 118, from Mumbai to London Heathrow, of February 16, 2017, and the local ATC, was briefly lost while flying over German airspace.

Communication was safely restored within a few minutes. As a precaution, the German Air Force deployed its aircraft to ensure the safety of the flight and its guests,” a Jet Airways spokesperson said in a statement.

“The flight with 330 guests and 15 crew subsequently landed at London without incident. Jet Airways has duly reported the matter to the concerned authorities including the DGCA. As part of the standard process, the flight crew of 9W 118 has been de-rostered pending investigation,” the statement added.