air-india-flight-enters-pakistan-airspace-briefly-probe-ordered

An Air India Delhi–Amritsar flight briefly entered Pakistan airspace on Monday night after deviating from its scheduled route, prompting warnings from air traffic authorities and leading to a subsequent delay for passengers, sources said.

 

The Airbus A321 flight AI-321 had departed from Delhi at 9:18 pm and was scheduled to land in Amritsar at 10:30 pm. However, during its journey, the aircraft strayed from its intended flight path and entered Pakistani airspace for a short duration.

 

Sources said the pilot became aware of the deviation after receiving alerts from Pakistan’s air traffic control authorities. The incident is now under investigation.

 

According to officials associated with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, the aircraft reportedly developed a technical issue mid-air, which contributed to the diversion from its route.

 

The local air traffic control instructed the aircraft to return to Delhi as a precautionary measure. The plane landed safely in the national capital and remained grounded for further checks.

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After receiving necessary clearances, the aircraft operated a fresh departure to Amritsar and finally landed at 2:20 am on the intervening night of June 22 and 23, resulting in a delay of around four hours for passengers.

 

Officials said the flight reportedly entered Pakistan airspace only briefly before corrective action was taken. Airport director Bhupender Singh said the deviation was limited and described the situation as “nothing unusual”.

 

“The flight did not go beyond one and a half nautical miles into Pakistan airspace,” he said, adding that the aircraft had approached Amritsar but could not stabilise for landing, which led to the decision to divert it back to Delhi.

 

The incident comes amid heightened sensitivity in India–Pakistan airspace coordination, although officials maintained that standard safety protocols were followed throughout the operation.

 

Authorities are examining the technical and operational factors that led to the deviation, including possible instrumentation or navigation issues.

 

No passengers were reported injured, though the disruption caused inconvenience due to the extended delay.

 

Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.