New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), confirmed on Friday that the crew of an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Srinagar had requested permission to enter Pakistani airspace to avoid severe weather but was denied access.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved IndiGo’s Airbus A321neo operating flight 6E 2142. The aircraft encountered a hailstorm and intense turbulence while flying near Pathankot. Although the plane sustained damage to its nose radome, the DGCA assured that no passengers were injured during the ordeal.
According to the DGCA’s detailed account, the crew initially contacted Northern Air Command (IAF) to request a deviation from their planned route toward the International Border due to adverse weather conditions.
“As per crew statement, they requested Northern control (IAF) for deviation towards left (International Border) due to weather on the route, however, it was not approved.”
With the situation escalating, the flight crew then sought assistance from Lahore Air Traffic Control to enter Pakistani airspace in a bid to avoid the turbulent zone.
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“Later crew contacted Lahore to enter into their airspace to avoid the weather but the same was refused too,” DGCA stated.
The DGCA noted that the crew had considered turning back but ultimately decided to continue on course due to their proximity to the storm system.
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“Subsequently, they encountered hailstorm and severe turbulence. Crew chose to continue at the same heading to exit the weather by the shortest route towards Srinagar,” the statement said.
The regulator has initiated an investigation into the incident, focusing on the aircraft’s exposure to turbulent conditions and the subsequent damage to its structure.
