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Air India Flight From Delhi 'Marginally Infringes' Into Pakistani Airspace; Probe Ordered

Carrier says the incident involving a Delhi-Amritsar flight on June 22 has been reported to regulators and is under internal investigation.

Air India Flight From Delhi 'Marginally Infringes' Into Pakistani Airspace; Probe Ordered
Air India says its Delhi-Amritsar flight briefly entered Pakistani airspace during a go-around manoeuvre; probe underway.
(Photo: Air India)

An Air India flight operating from Delhi to Amritsar briefly infringed Pakistani airspace while executing a go-around manoeuvre at Amritsar airport on June 22, the airline said in a statement.

The incident involved flight AI479 and occurred during the aircraft's approach to Amritsar, according to the carrier.

"The crew operating flight AI479 from Delhi to Amritsar on 22 June had marginally infringed into the Pakistan airspace while manoeuvring a go-around at Amritsar airport," Air India said.

The Tata Group-owned airline said the matter has been reported to the relevant regulatory authorities and is being examined internally.

"The incident has been reported to the regulatory authorities and is being investigated internally. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew remain top priority," the airline added.

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According to media reports, Air India flight AI479's brief entry into Pakistani airspace on June 22 occurred amid heavy congestion at Amritsar airport.

Multiple aircraft were reportedly instructed to remain in holding patterns before landing, prompting the Delhi-Amritsar flight to execute a go-around after its initial approach. During the manoeuvre, the aircraft briefly crossed into Pakistani airspace before returning to Indian airspace, the reports said.

With congestion continuing at Amritsar, the crew subsequently decided to divert the flight to its alternate airport, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft circling near Amritsar before turning back towards the national capital.

After refuelling in Delhi, the aircraft later resumed its journey and landed in Amritsar the same evening, according to sources.

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The incident comes less than two weeks after a Pakistani carrier briefly entered Indian airspace under comparable circumstances. On June 12, Fly Jinnah flight 9P514, operating from Lahore to Dubai, briefly crossed into Indian airspace over Punjab while deviating from its planned route to avoid adverse weather conditions.

The aircraft subsequently returned to Pakistani airspace, and, as with the Air India incident, the temporary airspace infringement was not linked to any security threat, media reports said.

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