A source told NDTV that the IAF did not scramble the fighter plane during the incident.
New Delhi:
The Indian Air Force has been closely monitoring the intrusion of a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 jetliner into Indian airspace last week.
On May 4, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-248, operated in a 16-year-old Boeing 777, had to cancel its landing due to bad weather at Lahore’s Alamaikbal International Airport. took off from Muscat for conditions.
Sources said Delhi Air Traffic Control had been alerted to the conditions the jetliner was experiencing and had processed a request for Boeing to make a diversion given the weather in the area.
“The incident of a PIA aircraft flying over Indian airspace due to bad weather has been coordinated between regional administrations in Lahore and Delhi, with information shared with the Air Force Mobile Liaison Force,” the source said.
“The Indian Air Force was in the picture and was monitoring the situation.”
Trackers from Flight Radar 24, a commercial app that monitors aircraft movements around the world, said the PIA jetliner flew north of the town of Bhikhiwind in Punjab at 8:42 p.m. on May 4, crossing Indian airspace. It shows that the flight took place immediately after entering the .
It then flew over Tarun Talang before turning southwest and eventually re-entering Pakistani airspace, diverting and landing in Multan.
A source told NDTV that the IAF did not scramble the fighter plane during the incident.
Pakistan International Airlines is licensed to operate specified flights in Indian airspace, including flights to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Several Indian airlines operate daily flights to the west across Pakistani airspace.
It is not uncommon for PIA flight PK-248 to have diversion requests due to severe weather in the region.
Despite Lahore’s proximity to the borders of India and Pakistan, air traffic controllers always prioritize the safe operation of flights. In this case, a PIA Boeing 777 is alerting Delhi Air Traffic Control to an unscheduled reroute.
