AI-321 Delhi-Amritsar flight of Air India strayed from its path and entered Pakistan’s airspace, which raised alarm bells since both countries have not been sharing good relations after the terrorist attack on tourists at Pahalgam on April 22, 2025.
The incident occurred on Monday night. It is learnt that the case is being investigated.
Sources stated that the pilot learnt about straying into the Pakistan airspace when the aircraft started receiving warnings from the Pakistan Air Traffic Authority.
The Airbus AI-321 aircraft had taken off from Delhi at 9:18 pm on Monday night and it was supposed to land in Amritsar at 10:30 pm, but the plane deviated from its route and entered Pakistan’s airspace. Sources in the Airport Authority of India (AAI) managing the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport stated that the aircraft experienced a technical fault during the flight.
The local airport control room instructed the aircraft to return to Delhi where it landed safely. About 2 hours later, after getting due permission, the plane took off again for Amritsar and landed here at 2:20 pm on the intervening night of June 22 and 23. Consequently, the passengers had to face a delay of about four hours.
Bhupender Singh, Airport director, said the flight did not go beyond one and half mile of the Pakistan airspace. He brushed it off as “nothing unusual”. Responding to the reason for the diversion of flight to Delhi, he said the aircraft approached the local airport but could not stabilise so it was sent back.
