Air India flight briefly enters Pakistan airspace during go-around

NEW DELHI: An Air India flight from Delhi to Amritsar briefly entered Pakistani airspace while carrying out a go-around manoeuvre at Amritsar airport, the airline said on Wednesday.

The incident involved flight AI479 on June 22 and occurred during the aircraft’s approach to Amritsar, close to the India-Pakistan border.

In a statement, Air India said the crew had “marginally infringed” Pakistani airspace while executing a go-around, a standard aviation procedure in which pilots abort a landing attempt and climb away for another approach.

What is a go-around?

• A go-around is a standard aviation safety manoeuvre.

• Pilots abandon a landing attempt and climb away for another approach.

• It may be triggered by poor visibility, bad weather, runway occupancy, air traffic conflicts or an unstable approach.

• Airlines and regulators consider it a routine safety procedure.

• Aircraft can deviate from their expected flight path while carrying out the manoeuvre, especially near airports close to international borders.

• Amritsar airport is located close to the India-Pakistan border, making careful coordination with air traffic control particularly important.

“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,” the airline said, according to Indian media reports.

According to preliminary information, the aircraft had initially been instructed by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to hold over 13 DME (Distance Measuring Equipment). However, it continued towards the Amritsar area, made a left turn and briefly crossed the International Border, resulting in a short entry into Pakistani airspace.

Investigation underway

The aircraft later returned to its designated route and landed safely in Amritsar.

Air India said the matter had been reported to the relevant regulatory authorities and was being investigated 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 said.

The carrier did not provide further details on the circumstances that led to the airspace infringement.

Aviation authorities have launched a routine inquiry to establish the exact sequence of events and determine why the aircraft was unable to remain within Indian airspace during the manoeuvre.

The flight eventually touched down in Amritsar at around 2.20am on Tuesday, nearly four hours behind schedule.

The development comes about a month after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight briefly entered Indian airspace after encountering adverse weather before being guided back to its assigned route by Indian air traffic controllers.

Go-arounds are considered routine safety procedures and can be initiated for a variety of reasons, including weather conditions, runway obstructions, air traffic conflicts or an unstable approach to landing.

The incident occurred while restrictions on Indian aircraft using Pakistani airspace were still in force under a ban extended by Pakistan in May.