Air India Flight Briefly Enters Pakistani Airspace Near Lahore During Amritsar Go-Around

Despite the ongoing restriction on Indian aircraft entering Pakistani airspace, an Air India Airbus A321 operating Flight AI479 from New Delhi to Amritsar briefly crossed into Pakistani airspace on Monday and remained over the Lahore sector for approximately two minutes.

According to preliminary information, the incident occurred while operations at Amritsar Airport were affected following a bird-strike event involving another aircraft. Inspection activities on the runway prompted air traffic controllers to place Flight AI479 in a holding pattern.

During a subsequent approach to the airport, radar vectoring instructions reportedly caused the aircraft to cross the international border near the Attari sector, resulting in a brief and unintended entry into Pakistani airspace.

Sources indicate that the occurrence is being treated as a limited and inadvertent airspace violation rather than a deliberate breach. Throughout the event, communication was maintained between the aircraft and the relevant air traffic control authorities in both Pakistan and India.

Instead of proceeding with a landing at Amritsar, the aircraft was later diverted back to New Delhi, where it landed safely without further incident.

Authorities have not reported any safety concerns arising from the brief airspace incursion, and the circumstances surrounding the event are expected to be reviewed by the relevant aviation authorities.