IAF guided IndiGo flight as Pak rejected plea to use airspace

Passengers on board the Delhi-Srinagar Indigo flight on May 21 encountered a grave threat of their lives as the sequence of events pointed to a series of miscalculations by the pilots, including the decision to fly into a hailstorm.

The beleaguered flight, with several of its instruments malfunctioning, landed at Srinagar after Indian Air Force (IAF) controllers on ground gave the pilots critical data on the plane’s altitude and speed using radars that can track aerial threats.

Flight 6E-2142 was cruising north of Pathankot over Punjab when the pilots radioed the IAF’s Northern Area Control at Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, seeking “permission” for diversion 180 km west into Pakistan. The pilots proposed to “skirt around” the approaching storm.

The IAF team refused permission to enter another country, saying that the authority rested with the New Delhi air traffic controller (ATC). The Indigo crew was advised about the notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by Pakistan last month barring Indian-owned airliners from using their airspace.

Sources said a diversion of 180 km west meant flying deep into Pakistan and then returning back to reach Srinagar.

The flight’s crew was assisted in coordinating the route diversion by contacting the Delhi ATC and passing requisite contact frequencies of the Lahore ATC for an overflight weather diversion request, the sources said. The Lahore ATC refused overflight clearance, and the aircraft proceeded towards Srinagar.

The aircraft — Airbus 321 Neo — had a built-in Doppler weather radar, but the decision of the pilots, after having been denied permission to head westwards, to fly into the hailstorm and not turn back to Amritsar or Pathankot is part of the probe ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The pilots fought a potentially life threatening situation as the aircraft flew into an intense hailstorm, encountering severe turbulence. This resulted in huge variations in air speed — the plane at one point descended at 8,500 feet per minute, exceeding the usual 1,500-2,000 feet per minute for a standard approach.

The onboard sensors that indicate speed and altitude — crucial for landing — were not functional, possibly damaged by hail or ice. The IAF ground controllers at Srinagar provided the Indigo pilots with crucial readings using a hi-tech radar that can track the speed and altitude of enemy planes and assisted it in landing.

While the passengers escaped unharmed, the aircraft’s “nose radome” suffered a significant damage.

Both nations extend airspace closure

India on Friday extended the closure of its airspace for flights operated by Pakistan airlines by another month till June 23. Similarly, Pakistan extended its airspace closure for Indian operators until 4.59 am on June 24, 2025. Fresh notices to airmen were issued by the authorities of both countries on Friday.