Indian Air Force assisted IndiGo flight after Pak denied its airspace: Sources

India Today

The Indian Air Force assisted the turbulence-hit IndiGo flight after Pakistan refused permission to enter its airspace, according to sources.

Transcript

00:00Let's get your breaking news that's coming in here on Super 6.

00:09Remember the incident that played out on Wednesday evening of an Indigo flight being hit by a hailstorm

00:15leading to the nose of the aircraft being damaged?

00:17Well, the Director General of Civil Aviation, the DGCA, has confirmed that, yes, Pakistan refused to go ahead

00:26and give permission for the flight to take a quick detour and enter into Pakistani airspace,

00:32keeping in mind the turbulent weather in Srinagar.

00:35Pakistan put 227 lives on board that flight at risk for their own petty reasons.

00:42The DGCA, in their report, has also given details of the kind of damage inflicted on the aircraft,

00:49reiterating that it was miraculous, really, that that plane managed to land in Srinagar

00:55with all passengers, crew, pilot, completely safe.

00:59The autopilot of the flight had tripped.

01:02The flight lost height and went right down at one point

01:06and then the pilot managed to steer the aircraft towards the runway and ensure a safe landing.

01:12So, absolutely tremendous work that's done by that pilot there

01:16and he ensured that all 227 lives were saved.

01:21I want to bring in Shivani Sharma for more details on this.

01:23Shivani, give us a sense of what the DGCA has said in their report.

01:26We also have, of course, some information from the Indian Air Force as well.

01:30Get us that as well.

01:33Akshita C certainly disposed of miraculous escape for the 227 passengers on board

01:38Delhi to Srinagar on this Indigo flight.

01:40The DGCA has now given out a statement that confirms that Pakistan had denied the airspace

01:46when this flight asked for soap.

01:48So, the Indian Air Force sources have also come up with certain inputs.

01:53They say that since there was a NOTAM, which was issued by Pakistan, and the airspace was closed.

02:01So, Air Force not only assisted this Indigo flight and it helped it get into contact with the Lahore ATC.

02:09And when Lahore ATC denied this airspace usage by this Indigo flight,

02:14the Indian Air Force helped this flight to get in control and it was actually ensured

02:20that this flight takes on all the measures that it can on its way to Srinagar.

02:25But certainly, the DGCA statement has made it very clear that this was a very challenging turbulence

02:31that was countered by this particular flight.

02:36And this was the pilot with his courage, his bravery, his skill that he managed to land this flight safely.

02:42But certainly, once again, we've been speaking that Pakistan has been exposed.

02:46Akshita denied this flight to be safe.

02:50It denied the airspace.

02:51And as per protocols, even if there is a NOTAM and there is no action going on in the airspace,

02:57the flight would have been given some respite by Pakistan.

03:01But, you know, what's very clear is protocol doesn't matter for Pakistan.

03:05They've tried to target civilians before.

03:07Even now, when 227 lives were at risk, what was their priority?

03:11Ensuring they continue with their pettiness.

03:13And that was clear, evident in this particular incident.

03:16But we also understand that the active intervention by the Indian Air Force also, Shivani,

03:21in guiding the pilot, guiding this aircraft, tremendously helped in its safe landing at the Srinagar airport.

03:29Akshita, we've been getting some input from the Indian Air Force sources.

03:32That's clear that since there was a NOTAM at place.

03:37But Indian Air Force guided and helped and assisted this flight to be safe to its route in Srinagar.

03:45The controls were being guided by the Indian Air Force.

03:48The pilot was in communication with the Indian Air Force Northern Control,

03:52which initially was also asked by the Indigo flights to use the Pakistan's airspace.

03:57But since the NOTAM was in force, Pakistan denied the usage of its airspace.

04:05The Indian Air Force Northern Control helped this flight to...

04:09Okay. Apologies.

04:11A bit of a problem there with Shivani's network.

04:13But Shivani was running us through the details that have emerged

04:16on how the Indian Air Force also immediately stepped in

04:18to help in any way they could with directing this particular aircraft to safer areas,

04:24particularly with the kind of weather patterns that was prevalent to Obert Srinagar.

04:29Absolute miracle that all of those passengers, crew members on board that flight

04:34were perfectly fine, courtesy that pilot.

04:36Because according to the DGCA, even the autopilot completely tripped off

04:40because of the damage caused due to the hail storm.

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