Air India Delhi-Amritsar flight briefly infringes Pakistani airspace, probe ordered

New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) An Air India aircraft flying from Delhi to Amritsar briefly infringed Pakistani airspace while executing a go-around manoeuvre at Amritsar airport on Monday, the Tata Group 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," it said.

Air India said 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 remains top priority," the airline’s statement added.

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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