Air India Delhi-Amritsar Flight Briefly Enters Pakistan Airspace; Investigation Underway

On Monday, an Air India flight travelling between Delhi and Amritsar briefly entered Pakistani airspace while performing a go-around manoeuvre near the Amritsar airport. Confirming the incident, the airline stated that the incident has been reported to aviation regulators, with an internal investigation currently being conducted. Read on to know more.

Air India Flight Briefly Enters Pakistan

According to Air India, flight AI479 slightly entered Pakistani airspace during its approach to Amritsar airport. The airline explained that the deviation took place while the aircraft was carrying out a standard go-around procedure, which is carried out when pilots abort a landing attempt and circle around for another approach. The airline further pointed out that passenger and crew safety remained unaffected throughout the incident.

As per a report by Moneycontrol, the initial reports available online indicated that a technical malfunction caused the aircraft to diverge from its route. However, Air India later clarified that the incident took place during a go-around operation near Amritsar airport rather than due to a mid-flight technical failure.

In a statement, the airline wrote: “The crew operating flight AI479 from Delhi to Amritsar on 22 June had marginally infringed on the Pakistan airspace while manoeuvring a go-around at Amritsar airport. The incident has been reported to the regulatory authorities and is being investigated internally.”

Amritsar’s closeness to the India-Pakistan border indicates that aircraft approaching or departing the airport operate close to international airspace boundaries.

Air India States The Investigation Is Underway

Air India has revealed that the airline is working with authorities to understand the exact pattern of events that led to the airspace violation.

While such events are rare, they are treated seriously by aviation officials because they involve international airspace boundaries. Investigators will now review flight data, pilot communication records and air traffic control regulations to determine exactly how the aircraft briefly entered into Pakistani airspace and whether any additional safeguards are required in future operations.

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