As Part of Back-Up Plan for Obama, US Air Force Jets Land in Jaipur

New Delhi: Moments before Air Force One, carrying US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, took off from the Andrews Air Force base, two jets of the US Air Force landed at the Jaipur airport.

US officials had identified Jaipur as part of a contingency plan, in case the weather plays spoilsport in Delhi, which is prone to heavily foggy mornings during winter.

If Air Force One indeed makes a stop in Jaipur, these planes will be required to provide support services, including refueling and security.

The US President is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Sunday morning. Two 'dummy planes' from the Boeing 747-200 series, identical to Air Force One, will also fly alongside the President's plane during its journey to the capital.

But an alternate flight plan is unlikely to come into force as the time of President Obama's arrival in Delhi has now been revised to 10 am from the earlier 4:45 am, say airport sources.

"Earlier, we were also considering Mumbai airport (as a back-up), but now the time is such that weather won't affect the flight. The fog won't be a factor at 10 am but even then we have to have a back-up plan," says a senior official of the Airports Authority of India.

President Obama's flight will be accorded the same privileges reserved for the planes taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee.

Once the plane carrying the US President enters the Indian airspace, it will get priority over all other air traffic. Senior air traffic controllers will monitor every movement of Air Force One until it touches down.

Though US officials would be allowed into the highly secure Air Traffic Control tower, Air Force One's movements would be handled by Indian Air Traffic controllers; American officials can only monitor the entire process.  

"Air traffic control is a sovereign function and no one can be allowed to meddle with it," said the AAI official.