Amritsar-Ahmedabad Indigo flight diverts to Pakistan due to bad weather

AMRITSAR: An Indigo Airlines flight bound for Ahmedabad from Amritsar encountered treacherous weather conditions, forcing it to deviate to Pakistan on Saturday night.
Straying off course, the aircraft ventured as far as Gujaranwala, about 100 km from Lahore, before ultimately returning to Indian airspace.
A senior official at the Amritsar airport confirmed that Indigo flight 6E645, which departed from Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport, encountered adverse weather conditions and was compelled to divert to Pakistan. “The flight briefly remained in Pakistani airspace for approximately 10 minutes before swiftly returning to the Indian airspace.”
However, unconfirmed reports suggest that the plane remained there for about 20 minutes in the Pakistani airspace.
Pakistani media reports said the IndiGo flight headed back to the Indian airspace about 8 pm on Saturday.
According to the Amritsar airport official, the diversion of the Indigo flight to Pakistan due to bad weather was a standard procedure that involved effective coordination with Lahore Air Traffic Control.
“Pilots are trained to make prompt decisions based on prevailing weather conditions, particularly during monsoon, heavy winters or rainy seasons,” he said, adding that such diversions were not uncommon in aviation and were implemented to prioritise passenger safety. “The incident also highlights the importance of pilots' expertise and their ability to adapt to challenging weather scenarios while ensuring the well-being of those on-board,” he said.