A serious aviation incident unfolded when an IndiGo aircraft en route to Srinagar encountered a dangerous hailstorm and was denied permission to enter Pakistani airspace by Lahore Air Traffic Control (ATC), raising questions over humanitarian flight safety protocols.
According to India&rsquo;s civil aviation authority, the aircraft was cruising at 36,000 feet near Pathankot when it ran into a massive thunderstorm and hail activity. The pilots initially contacted Indian Air Force's Northern ATC to request deviation toward the International Border, but the request was declined, citing risks due to recent India-Pakistan tensions during Operation Sindoor.
Facing worsening weather conditions, the pilots reached out to Lahore ATC for temporary entry into Pakistani airspace to avoid the storm &mdash; a request that was also refused.
With no safe return route to Delhi and the storm intensifying, the flight crew chose to navigate through the hazardous weather to reach Srinagar directly.
The aircraft experienced severe turbulence, causing the autopilot to disengage, erratic speed shifts, and multiple system alerts including unreliable airspeed indications. At one point, the aircraft descended at a rate of 8,500 feet per minute.
The pilots manually flew the aircraft and declared an emergency. Srinagar ATC guided the aircraft using radar vectors, and it eventually landed safely. All passengers and crew were unharmed.
Post-landing inspection revealed damage to the aircraft&rsquo;s nose, and a detailed investigation has been initiated to examine all aspects of the incident.

IndiGo flight caught in hailstorm; denied entry into Pakistan airspace amid emergency, lands safely in Srinagar

IndiGo Jet Denied Help by Lahore ATC in Storm

IndiGo flight caught in hailstorm; denied entry into Pakistan airspace amid emergency, lands safely in Srinagar

May 23, 2025 | 16:40 IST