India accuses Pakistan of denying airspace to IndiGo flight amid turbulence

India’s civil aviation authorities accused Pakistan of refusing airspace access to an IndiGo flight carrying over 220 passengers, which encountered severe turbulence while traveling from Delhi to Srinagar on Wednesday.

The Airbus A321neo, operating flight 6E 2142, was caught in a hailstorm near Pathankot in Punjab.

The turbulence reportedly caused damage to the aircraft's nose, prompting the pilots to declare an emergency before safely landing at Srinagar Airport.

According to India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the flight crew requested permission from Northern Control (Indian Air Force) to divert left toward the international border to avoid extreme weather, but the request was denied.

"Later crew contacted Lahore to enter into their airspace to avoid the weather but the same was refused too," DGCA said.

Indian media reports claim that Pakistan’s refusal to allow the aircraft into its airspace endangered lives onboard. 

Read: Pakistan extends airspace ban for Indian flights

Pakistan had already suspended airspace access to Indian flights earlier this year, with the closure expected to remain in place until June 2025 as a reciprocal move during a diplomatic standoff.

IndiGo confirmed that the aircraft encountered unexpected severe weather and that the crew followed all standard safety protocols. “The flight landed safely, and all passengers are unharmed,” the airline said in a statement.

Aviation experts noted that while turbulence rarely causes plane crashes, severe hailstorms can lead to structural damage and pose a threat to unbelted passengers.

“Air turbulence can be dangerous, especially when passengers are not wearing seat belts,” one expert explained.