An IndiGo flight en route to Srinagar encountered severe turbulence and hail while flying over northern India, but was denied permission by Lahore Air Traffic Control (ATC) to enter Pakistani airspace to escape the storm—drawing criticism over the refusal to assist a civilian aircraft in distress.
According to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the incident occurred while the aircraft was cruising at approximately 36,000 feet near Pathankot, Punjab. The aircraft ran into a powerful thunderstorm system, encountering intense turbulence and hail.
In response, the flight crew initially sought clearance from India’s Northern ATC, operated by the Indian Air Force, to temporarily deviate toward the International Border. However, this request was denied due to concerns about crossing into potentially hostile airspace in light of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent Operation Sindoor.
Subsequently, the pilot contacted Lahore ATC for emergency clearance to enter Pakistani airspace briefly to avoid the storm. This request was also denied.
With no safe option to turn back to Delhi and storm clouds rapidly approaching, the flight crew opted to continue toward Srinagar along the shortest possible route. According to the DGCA, the aircraft experienced “extreme updrafts and downdrafts” during the passage through the storm. This caused the autopilot to disengage and led to fluctuations in airspeed.
“While inside the thunderstorm cloud, multiple warning systems were triggered, including an angle of attack fault, loss of alternate stall protection, and unreliable airspeed indications,” the DGCA said in its official statement.
At one point, the aircraft’s rate of descent reached a concerning 8,500 feet per minute. The pilots took manual control of the plane and navigated it through the severe weather conditions until they were able to exit the storm cell.
An emergency was declared with Srinagar ATC, which then provided radar vectors to assist with the approach. The flight landed safely in Srinagar, and no injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
Post-flight inspection revealed damage to the aircraft’s nose cone, likely caused by hail. The DGCA confirmed that a detailed investigation is underway to assess both the handling of the emergency and the refusal of airspace access.
The safe landing, despite extreme conditions, has drawn praise for the flight crew, while Lahore ATC’s refusal to grant emergency airspace clearance has raised questions about adherence to international aviation and humanitarian norms.
Operation Sindoor was a major Indian military initiative launched in the early hours of May 7, 2025, in direct retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives and left many injured. The operation signaled a decisive shift in India’s defense posture, moving from a stance of strategic restraint to a proactive approach aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
