Pakistan Denied Turbulence-Hit Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo Flight’s Request To Use Its Airspace: Report

Srinagar: The pilot of the Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo aircraft that was battered by a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, had initially Lahore Air Traffic Control’s permission to use the Pakistan airspace for a brief while to avoid the turbulence. However, his request was denied, a report said on Thursday.

According to a PTI report quoting sources, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the incident where flight 6E 2142 encountered severe turbulence.

The IndiGo 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 aircraft landed safely on Wednesday, but passengers were left battered.

The pilot noticed the turbulence while flying over Amritsar and reached out to Lahore ATC to seek permission to take a deviation through the Pakistan airspace on Wednesday, as per the PTI report. However, the request was rejected by Lahore ATC, it said.

As a result, the flight had to navigate through its original path, which was affected by severe turbulence.

Pakistan has closed its airspace for all Indian aircraft in the wake of tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed at least 26 people. India has also closed its airspace for Pakistani carriers.