Pak rejected IndiGo pilot’s request to use airspace amid massive turbulence
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Pak rejected IndiGo pilot’s request to use airspace to avoid turbulence
IndiGo flight carrying 227 passengers from Delhi to Srinagar was caught in terrifying midair turbulence, sending those onboard into a panic and causing visible damage to the aircraft’s nose. The pilot declared an emergency with Air Traffic Control before managing to safely land the aircraft. However, the aircraft sustained damage significant enough for the airline to declare it “Aircraft on Ground” (AOG), grounding it for urgent repairs. Following the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were gunned down by terrorists, Pakistan closed its airspace to India.
The incident happened when an IndiGo Airlines pilot on a Delhi-Srinagar flight, which was faced with a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday evening, urged Lahore Air Traffic Control to allow it to briefly use the Pakistani airspace so that it could avoid the turbulence, but the request was rejected, the news agency reported while quoting sources.
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When the plane was flying over Amritsar, the pilot raised an alarm after noticing turbulence due to adverse weather. He then contacted the Lahore ATC, seeking permission to use the airspace. Denied that, the pilot continued onto the original path as scheduled, braving severe turbulence.
On Wednesday, an IndiGo flight carrying 227 passengers from Delhi to Srinagar was caught in terrifying midair turbulence, sending those onboard into a panic and causing visible damage to the aircraft’s nose.
Flight 6E2142 was nearing its destination when it was battered by a hailstorm. The pilot declared an emergency with Air Traffic Control before managing to safely land the aircraft at Srinagar Airport at 6.30 pm. However, the dramatic ordeal left passengers shaken.
Reports from the scene confirmed that all passengers and crew members were evacuated safely from the aircraft after landing. However, the aircraft sustained damage significant enough for the airline to declare it “Aircraft on Ground” (AOG), grounding it for urgent repairs.
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Five Trinamool Congress leaders-Derek O’Brien, Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghose, Manas Bhunia, and Mamata Thakur-were on board the IndiGo flight that suffered turbulence. They expressed gratitude to the pilot after the flight safely landed at the Srinagar airport.
A sudden hailstorm with heavy rain struck Delhi-NCR late Wednesday evening, triggering an abrupt shift in the weather.
The unexpected weather disruption forced the suspension or diversion of several domestic and international flights at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
It is worth noting that following the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were gunned down by terrorists, and the subsequent hostilites between the two countries, Pakistan closed its airspace to India. Pakistani flights are not allowed to use Indian airspace either.
Published By: Vivek Published On: May 22, 2025
Pak rejected IndiGo pilot’s request amid turbulence
The Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo flight that hit turbulence mid-air due to inclement weather, prompting the pilot to report the “emergency” to air traffic control at Srinagar. The incident of flight 6E 2142 encountering severe turbulence is being probed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
The Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo flight that hit turbulence mid-air due to inclement weather, prompting the pilot to report the “emergency” to air traffic control at Srinagar. PTI
An IndiGo pilot operating the Delhi-Srinagar flight, which encountered a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, initially sought Lahore air traffic control’s permission to briefly use the Pakistan airspace to avoid the turbulence, but the request was rejected, sources said on Thursday.
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The incident of flight 6E 2142 encountering severe turbulence is being probed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the sources said.
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The flight, carrying more than 220 people, including Trinamool Congress MPs, encountered a sudden hailstorm, and the pilot reported the “emergency” to air traffic control at Srinagar airport. The flight had landed safely on Wednesday.
When the aircraft was overflying Amritsar, the pilot noticed turbulence and sought Lahore ATC permission to take a deviation through the Pakistan airspace. The request was made in order to avoid the turbulence, but it was rejected by the Lahore ATC, the sources said.
As a result, the aircraft operated on the original flight path, where it encountered severe turbulence, they added.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pak-rejected-indigo-pilots-request-to-use-airspace-amid-massive-turbulence-2729049-2025-05-22