Pakistan turned down a request from a Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight, which was battered by severe turbulence on Wednesday evening, to enter its airspace, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed. The regulator has initiated a detailed investigation into the incident.
The Airbus A321 Neo aircraft – carrying more than 220 people, including Trinamool Congress MPs – was cruising at 36,000 feet when it encountered extreme weather conditions. According to the DGCA, the crew had requested a deviation from their flight path due to an approaching storm, but this was denied by Northern Control, operated by the Indian Air Force. A subsequent attempt to enter Pakistani airspace by contacting Lahore ATC was also refused.
Faced with rapidly deteriorating weather conditions and limited alternatives, the crew initially considered turning back but ultimately decided to fly through the storm to minimise exposure time.
“The aircraft experienced updraughts and downdraughts that caused the autopilot to disengage, leading to significant speed fluctuations,” the DGCA stated. “Warnings for exceeding the maximum operating speed and repeated stall alerts were also triggered. At one point, the aircraft’s rate of descent peaked at 8,500 feet per minute.”
The pilots were forced to take manual control until the aircraft exited the turbulent zone. A PAN PAN emergency call was made to Srinagar ATC, after which the aircraft received radar vectors and landed safely. The auto-thrust system resumed normal operation prior to touchdown.
Following the safe landing, a post-flight inspection revealed damage to the aircraft’s nose radome, likely caused by hail impact.
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