Air India flight entry coordinated with Pakistan ATC for return to Delhi: DGCA

New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) Civil Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Wednesday that the brief entry into Pakistani airspace of Air India’s Delhi-Amritsar flight AI-479 two days ago was coordinated with Pakistan’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) authorities and the plane was finally diverted to land safely in Delhi.

“Air India’s Airbus 321 aircraft VT‑PPV operating flight AI-479 from Delhi to Amritsar during approach was asked to hold due to runway inspection post a bird-strike incident. After the aircraft commenced approach during radar vectoring the aircraft briefly entered Pakistan airspace. The event was coordinated with Pakistan ATC Authorities. The aircraft finally diverted to Delhi and safely landed at Delhi,” the DGCA statement said.

According to an earlier Air India statement: “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,” Air India said.

Air India added that the incident has been reported to the relevant regulatory authorities and is being examined internally by the airline management as well.

“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’s statement said.

Pakistan’s airspace remains closed for all Indian-registered, owned, or leased aircraft, including both civil and military flights.

The closure was originally implemented following the terror attack on Indian tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir and border tensions escalating in April 2025.

Since then, Pakistan has continually extended this restriction on a monthly basis.

India also maintains a reciprocal ban on Pakistani aircraft using its airspace.

Earlier this month, Pakistan extended the ban on Indian civil and military aircraft till July 24.

“The ban on Indian aircraft — both civil and military — will remain in effect from 5:50 p.m. June 16 until 4:59 a.m. July 24,” the Pakistan Airports Authority said in a notice issued last week.

Because of this ban, Indian airlines like Air India and IndiGo are forced to take longer, alternative routes for their international flights to Europe, Central Asia, and North America.

Without access to the direct northern corridor, flights heading west and north are now forced to divert over the Arabian Sea and transit via the UAE, Oman, or detour across other alternative corridors.

The longer transit times require aircraft to carry more fuel, which reduces passenger or cargo payload.

These forced detours are contributing to tens of millions in financial burdens and potentially higher ticket prices for flyers.

Due to the combination of Pakistani airspace bans and wider conflicts in West Asia, Indian carriers have occasionally been forced to temporarily suspend some international flights to Central Asian destinations such as Almaty and Tashkent.

–IANS

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