Indian Air Force guided IndiGo's Delhi-Srinagar to safety after Pak's airspace denial

The IndiGo flight from Delhi to Srinagar, carrying over 220 passengers including several Members of Parliament, encountered severe turbulence on May 21 and was safely guided to land by Indian Air Force authorities after being denied emergency access to Pakistani airspace, according to sources from the Indian Air Force quoted.

Flight 6E-2142 ran into intense turbulence and suffered visible damage to its nose cone (radome) during a sudden hailstorm that swept across northern India on Wednesday night.

In an attempt to avoid the rough weather, the pilot requested temporary clearance to overfly Pakistani airspace. However, Lahore Air Traffic Control denied the request, citing an active NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), A0220/25, issued by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, which bars entry of Indian-registered civilian and military aircraft into Pakistani airspace.

The restriction, valid until midnight on May 23, had already been incorporated into standard route planning by Indian airlines. On Friday, Pakistan announced an extension of the ban on Indian



flights until June 24.

Following the refusal, Northern Area Control quickly coordinated with Delhi Area Control to assist the IndiGo crew. Although Lahore ATC frequencies were shared in case an exception could be negotiated, the denial remained in place.

Forced to reroute, the flight headed toward Srinagar, where the Indian Air Force provided crucial real-time support, including navigational guidance and speed updates, enabling a safe landing amid difficult conditions.

A mid-air emergency was declared after the aircraft was struck by hail while approaching Srinagar. The pilot promptly informed Air Traffic Control and successfully landed the plane at 6:30 pm.

All passengers and crew disembarked safely, though the aircraft’s nose sustained heavy damage. IndiGo subsequently declared the aircraft “Aircraft on Ground” (AOG), grounding it for immediate repairs.

On board the flight were five Trinamool Congress leaders: Derek O'Brien, Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghose, Manas Bhunia and Mamata Thakur.