Pakistan Rejects IndiGo Pilot’s Plea – Risks 220 Lives
An IndiGo flight operating from Delhi to Srinagar, carrying over 220 passengers, refused a request for emergency landing through Pakistan’s airspace, facing an unanticipated hailstorm on Wednesday. The IndiGo aircraft face a sudden hailstorm and rough turbulence, triggering many warning signals.
The Indian aircraft, going from Delhi to Srinagar, IndiGo’s neo aircraft- flight 6E-2142, which was caught in a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, May 21. First requested the northern air traffic control (which comes under Indian Air Force) to deviate towards Pakistan before contacting the Lahore air traffic control to avoid the hailstorm but both requests were denied, pushing the airman to navigate the hailstorm and land the aircraft in Srinagar, according to a Directorate General of Civil Aviation( DGCA).
In the midst of tensions with India, Pakistan denied an Indian airline in crisis as one of its flights asked for assistance to evade turbulence on Wednesday, news agency PTI said.
When the aircraft was enroute over Amritsar, the pilot sounded an alarm when he felt turbulence as a result of inclement weather. The pilot called the Lahore ATC asking to pass through the airspace. Refused that, the pilot proceeded on to the original route as planned, enduring extreme turbulence.
he DGCA said that the IndiGo aircraft was cruising at an altitude of roughly 36,000 bases near Punjab’s Pathankot when it ran into a hailstorm. The crew initially tried to return, but as they were very close to the thunderstorm cloud, they decided to face the weather conditions. Subsequently, they encountered the hailstorm and the severe turbulence. The crew choses to continue at the same title to exit the rainfall conditions by the shortest route towards Srinagar,” said the DGCA statement.
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As per the regulator, the crew first tried to go back, but since they were near the thunderstorm cloud, they decided to fly into the weather. “Later, they faced the hailstorm and rough turbulence. The crew decided to proceed on the same heading to come out of the weather condition by the shortest path towards the Srinagar,” the release added.
On Thursday, PTI stated that Pakistan’s Lahore ATC had turned down the pilot’s plea to fly over Pakistan’s airspace to escape turbulence.
IndiGo Delhi to Srinagar flight with more than 220 passengers, including Trinamool Congress Members of Parliament, encountered a horrifying mid-air crisis when it encountered a harsh and unforeseen hailstorm around Pathankot. The aircraft faced the rough turbulence as a result of the hailstorm. The radome (essentially the nose of the aircraft) was severely dented and destroyed by the hailstones. This section of the plane houses radar systems, and damage to it is a critical concern, causing passengers life at risk.
A top DGCA official from India confirmed that the issue is under investigation. IndiGo has been requested to submit a detailed report on just what transpired. The pilots are being praised for remaining professional and calm while coping with extreme passenger safety conditions. The storm didn’t just affect this one flight. At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, multiple flights, both domestic and international, had to be delayed, diverted, or cancelled because of the severe weather system moving through the region.
Adding to the complexity is the fact that the storm occurred during a time of high tension between Pakistan and India. Relations have deteriorated between the two nations after a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in which 26 civilians lost their lives. The two countries have shut each other’s airspace, so Indian aircraft cannot enter Pakistani airspace and vice versa.
Due to this closure of airspace, the IndiGo flight could not divert into Pakistani airspace to steer clear of the storm. The pilot is said to have even contacted Lahore air traffic control for assistance after the Indian Air Force refused to allow it across the border — something that’s extremely rare. This scene of the incident is now being scrutinize by the DGCA as well.
Images and videos from the flight, depicting the mangled nose and shaken passengers, have circulated widely on the internet. Although no one was injured, the incident demonstrates how fast weather and geopolitics can cause serious issues in flying. The incident showcased the competence of the flight crew, but it also posed questions regarding whether air traffic systems are adequately prepared to manage rapidly developing emergencies, particularly with political restrictions involved.
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