Air India flight enters Pakistan airspace, pilots, ATC official grounded
NEW DELHI: An Air India Delhi-Amritsar flight briefly entered Pakistan airspace while holding to land Monday, prompting authorities to ground the operating crew and an Amritsar air traffic controller for allegedly failing to report the incident. The aircraft exited Pakistani airspace within 15 secon
By Saurabh Sinha
NEW DELHI: An Air India Delhi-Amritsar flight briefly entered Pakistan airspace while holding to land Monday, prompting authorities to ground the operating crew and an Amritsar air traffic controller for allegedly failing to report the incident.
The aircraft exited Pakistani airspace within 15 seconds after coordinating with Lahore ATC and later returned to Delhi before flying to Amritsar.
The Airbus A321 (VT-PPT) operating as AI 479 had taken off from Delhi at 9.07 pm Monday.
An aircraft which had landed at Amritsar before it reported a bird hit and runway inspection was being carried out there to check for any remains on the airstrip.
AI 479 was asked to hold while the inspection continued.
The aircraft then briefly entered Pakistan airspace.The international border is very close to both the Jammu and Amritsar airports.
Experienced pilots say while flying from the north, they have to take a low radius turn for manoeuvring to land there without entering into Pakistan airspace.
Meanwhile, the crew of AI 479, which was approaching Amritsar, decided to divert to its alternate airport, Delhi.
Sources said the crew may have diverted after reaching diversion fuel limits or due to an unstabilised approach.
The aircraft returned to Delhi at 11.27 pm.
About an hour later, the aircraft departed Delhi again and flew to Amritsar.The aviation ministry said: “On June 22, AI 479 (Delhi-Amritsar) during approach was asked to hold due to runway inspection post a bird strike incident.
After the aircraft commenced approach the aircraft briefly entered the Pakistan airspace.
The aircraft finally diverted back to Delhi and safely landed at Delhi.
Authorities took interim action against the Amritsar air traffic controller and the operating crew for failing to report the incident.”Air India said: “The crew operating flight AI 479 from Delhi to Amritsar on June 22 had marginally infringed into the Pakistan airspace while manoeuvring a go-around at Amritsar airport.
The incident has been reported to the authorities and is being investigated internally.” This story had continued from a page 25 story in the newspaper.
For your reading convenience we have added it below.AI enters Pak air, ATC groundedAn AI Delhi-Amritsar flight on Monday briefly entered Pak airspace while manoeuvring to land, coordinated exit in 15 seconds with Lahore ATC.
The flight returned to Delhi, and later flew back.
Crew and Amritsar ATC grounded for not reporting the incident.
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