IndiGo Delhi-Srinagar flight incident: Pakistan rejected pilot’s request to enter airspace to keep away from turbulence

An IndiGo pilot working the Delhi-Srinagar flight, which encountered a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, initially sought Lahore Air Visitors Management’s permission to briefly use the Pakistan airspace to keep away from the turbulence, however the request was rejected, sources mentioned on Thursday.

The incident of flight 6E 2142 encountering extreme turbulence is being probed by the Directorate Basic of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the sources mentioned.

The flight, carrying greater than 220 individuals, together with Trinamool Congress MPs encountered a sudden hailstorm, and the pilot reported the “emergency” to air visitors management at Srinagar airport. The flight had landed safely on Wednesday.

When the plane was overflying Amritsar, the pilot seen turbulence and sought Lahore Air Visitors Management’s (ATC) permission to take a deviation by the Pakistan airspace on Wednesday. The request was made with a purpose to keep away from the turbulence, nevertheless it was rejected by the Lahore ATC, the sources advised PTI.

Consequently, the plane operated on the unique flight path, the place it encountered extreme turbulence, they added.

Within the wake of tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror assault that killed no less than 26 individuals, Pakistan airspace is closed for Indian carriers. India has additionally shut its airspace for Pakistan airways.

In an announcement on Thursday, IndiGo mentioned its flight 6E 2142 from Delhi to Srinagar on Might 21, 2025, navigated a sudden hailstorm and landed safely at Srinagar Worldwide Airport.

“All prospects had been attended to upon touchdown and no accidents had been reported. The plane is at present present process obligatory inspection and upkeep in Srinagar and can resume operations as soon as all clearances have been secured,” the airline mentioned.

A five-member delegation of Trinamool Congress comprising Derek O’Brien, Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghose, Manas Bhunia, and Mamata Thakur was on the flight.

“It was a near-death expertise. I assumed my life was over. Individuals had been screaming, praying and panicking,” Ghose mentioned on Wednesday.

“Hats off to the pilot who introduced us by that. After we landed, we noticed the nostril of the aircraft had blown up,” she had mentioned, including that the delegation thanked the pilot after the touchdown.

Movies of the moments of turbulence emerged on social media displaying panicked passengers praying for his or her lives because the aircraft swayed.