According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), at 2:30 pm, Imphal Air Traffic Control (ATC) received a phone call from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) control room informing that an unidentified flying object (UFO) was hovering over the terminal building. The UFO then moved south above the ATC and stayed motionless there for a while. It then moved southwest of the airfield, where it remained visible until 4:05 p.m., and vanished thereafter.
The Airports Authority of India stated that at 3:55 pm, the Eastern Command of the IAF commenced their "Mission Red & Mission Blue" by scrambling fighter planes over Imphal airspace, which continued until 5:35 pm." It further stated that following IAF clearance, regular airport flight operations resumed at 5:50 p.m.