Billed as the top-most attraction at Aero India here, the aerobatics display by the Russian Air Force’s Knights on their Sukhoi planes were missed on the first two days of the five-day show, with the Ministry of Home Affairs applying brakes on the team from reaching the Yelahanka air base.
The Knights have already reached IAF’s Hindon Air Base outside Delhi on Wednesday after a two-day delay owing to inclement weather over their Kunbika Air Force Base outside Moscow. However, they were yet to be given permission by the MHA to fly to Yelahanka, government sources in New Delhi said.
“The Knights landed in Hindon at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. But their planes are on the ground,
as the Home Ministry is yet to give permission for it to fly down to Yelahanka and to perform over Bangalore air space,” sources said. However, no reason has been cited by the MHA, they added. If they get permission, they would fly down to Yelahanka on Friday and may perform on Saturday and Sunday.