PIA jet enters Indian airspace in bad weather, IAF monitors situation
New Delhi, May 08: On May 4, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 777 jetliner entered Indian airspace due to poor weather conditions that led to an aborted landing at Lahore airport. The Indian Air Force was closely monitoring the situation and had been alerted to the weather conditions that the jetliner was experiencing.
The Delhi Air Traffic Control processed a request for the Boeing to fly a detour due to the weather in the area. Sources say that the incident was coordinated between Lahore and Delhi area control, and information was shared with the Air Force Movement Liaison Unit, with the Indian Air Force monitoring the situation. However, the IAF did not scramble any fighter jets during the incident.
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The PIA jetliner, which was being operated on a 16-year-old Boeing 777, took off from Muscat for Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport. After it had to abort its landing due to poor weather conditions, it flew north of the Bhikhiwind town in Punjab at 8.42 pm on May 4, shortly after entering Indian airspace. It then flew over the city of Tarn Taran before turning southwest and eventually re-entering Pakistani airspace, where it diverted to Multan and landed there.
Although the incident involving PIA flight PK-248 and the request to detour because of poor weather in the region is not unusual, it is worth noting that Pakistani International Airlines has permission to operate designated flights over Indian airspace, including flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Several Indian airlines operate daily flights to the West across Pakistani airspace.
Despite the proximity of Lahore and the India-Pakistan border, air traffic controllers always prioritize the safe operations of flights, as in this case, alerting the Delhi Air Traffic Control of an unplanned route diversion by the PIA Boeing 777.
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- With inputs from agencies
