IndiGo Flight deviates into Pakistani airspace due to bad weather, lands safely in India
PuneNow, June 12, 2023: A passenger flight operated by IndiGo temporarily strayed into Pakistani airspace due to adverse weather conditions, before making a safe return to India within 30 minutes.
The incident took place on Saturday evening when flight 6E-645, which was en route from Amritsar to Ahmedabad, deviated towards Lahore until reaching Gujranwala in Pakistan from Attari in Amritsar.
The flight, maintaining a speed of 454 knots, reached north of Lahore around 7:30 pm and returned to Indian airspace by 8:01 pm, as reported by Pakistan’s news agency, Dawn.
In a statement provided by IndiGo, the airline confirmed the deviation, attributing it to bad weather conditions. “IndiGo flight 6E-645, operating from Amritsar to Ahmedabad had to take a deviation over Attari into Pakistan airspace due to bad weather. The deviation was well coordinated with Pakistan by Amritsar ATC via telephone. The crew was in continuous contact with Pakistan on R/T and the flight landed in Ahmedabad safely post the deviation,” the statement read.
The IndiGo spokesperson reassured that the flight landed safely in Ahmedabad and further detailed that the event occurred on the evening of 10th June.
In response to the event, a senior official from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), quoted by Dawn, stated that such incidents are not unusual and are allowed internationally in bad weather conditions, thereby dismissing any alarm surrounding the situation.
This incident highlights the necessity of global cooperation and protocols in aviation to ensure passenger safety amidst unforeseen circumstances, such as inclement weather conditions.
