GURUGRAM- An Air India (AI) Airbus A321 operating Flight AI463 from New Delhi (DEL) to Amritsar (ATQ) briefly entered Pakistani airspace on Monday night after a navigation system malfunction. The aircraft safely returned to Indian airspace after Pakistani Air Traffic Control (ATC) alerted the flight crew.
The flight later diverted back to New Delhi due to heavy traffic congestion and operational constraints at Amritsar. The aircraft then resumed its journey and landed safely after receiving the necessary operational clearances. Official sources confirmed the incident on Wednesday.
Air India Flight Strays Into Pakistani Airspace
The Airbus A321 departed Indira Gandhi International Airport at approximately 9:18 PM on Monday, scheduled to operate to Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar.
Shortly after departure, the aircraft experienced a technical issue affecting its navigation system. The malfunction caused the flight path to drift westward across the International Border and briefly enter Pakistani airspace while the aircraft was still climbing toward its planned route.
According to The Statesman, the route deviation occurred after the onboard navigation system encountered a technical fault during the Delhi-Amritsar flight.
Airport and aviation sources stated that Pakistani air traffic controllers quickly identified the airspace deviation and coordinated with the flight crew.
“The deviation was promptly flagged by Pakistani air traffic authorities, who coordinated with the flight crew to alert them to the airspace breach. The pilots immediately corrected their course and guided the aircraft back into Indian territory,” a senior airport official said on condition of anonymity.
Following the alert, the flight crew corrected the aircraft’s heading and returned it safely to Indian airspace.
Congestion at Amritsar
After returning to its intended route, the aircraft continued toward Amritsar and approached the airport at around 10:30 PM.
The local airspace was experiencing significant traffic congestion at the time. Due to the lack of an immediate landing slot and additional operational constraints, air traffic controllers instructed the aircraft to return to Delhi instead of continuing its approach.
The aircraft subsequently flew back to Indira Gandhi International Airport, where it landed safely for a technical inspection.
After arriving in Delhi, the Airbus A321 underwent a technical inspection to evaluate the navigation system issue.
Once the inspection was completed and the necessary operational clearances were received, the aircraft was approved to continue its journey to Amritsar. The flight then departed Delhi for the second time.
Flight AI463 completed the final leg of its journey to Punjab without further disruption.
The aircraft landed safely at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport at approximately 2:20 AM on Tuesday, nearly four hours behind its scheduled arrival time.
DGCA Launches Investigation
Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are yet to issue an official statement regarding the specific nature of the navigation system failure.
Aviation authorities have initiated a routine investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the route deviation and the temporary entry into Pakistani airspace.
Similar Incidents
The incident occurred roughly one month after a Pakistan International Airlines (PK) flight briefly entered Indian airspace due to adverse weather conditions.
In that case, Indian air traffic controllers guided the aircraft back to its designated route after the weather-related deviation.
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