An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Srinagar faced severe turbulence on Wednesday, May 21, due to a sudden hailstorm near Srinagar. To avoid the bad weather, the pilot asked Lahore Air Traffic Control in Pakistan for permission to enter its airspace. However, Pakistan denied the request, according to a report by news agency PTI.
The request was made while the plane was flying over Amritsar. Since the permission was not granted, the pilot had to continue through the storm. The flight, numbered 6E2142, was carrying 227 passengers. The storm damaged the plane’s nose, and passengers panicked as the aircraft shook badly.
As a safety measure, the pilot declared an emergency while approaching Srinagar and managed to land the plane safely at 6:30 pm. Thankfully, everyone on board was safe, and there were no injuries. However, the aircraft was grounded for urgent repairs.
Read More: IndiGo Flight Lands Safely in Srinagar After Hailstorm Damages Aircraft Nose
IndiGo released a statement confirming the plane had flown through a sudden hailstorm but landed safely in Srinagar. The airline said that all passengers were taken care of and the aircraft is being inspected and repaired before it can fly again.
Among the passengers were five Trinamool Congress leaders, including Derek O’Brien and Nadimul Haque. Journalist Sagarika Ghose, also on board, described the experience as terrifying. “It felt like a near-death experience. People were screaming and praying,” she said. She also praised the pilot for safely landing the plane despite the tough situation.
This incident highlights the difficulties pilots face when weather conditions are bad and certain airspaces are restricted. India and Pakistan have had ongoing tensions, which affect flight routes. Pakistan has kept its airspace closed to Indian flights since past conflicts, such as the Pahalgam attack.
The hailstorm also affected flights in the Delhi-NCR area, with some being delayed or diverted at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
