A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, PK248, was forced to fly in Indian airspace for almost 10 minutes on May 4, after it failed to land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore due to heavy rain. The flight had returned from Muscat and attempted to land at the airport but became unstable and was instructed to initiate a go-around approach by air traffic control. However, the heavy rain and low altitude caused the pilot to lose their way, and the aircraft entered Indian airspace from the Badhana police station.
The aircraft was flying at an altitude of 13,500 feet with a speed of 292 km/hr when it entered Indian airspace. It turned back from Naushehra Pannuan after traveling 40 km through the city of Taran Sahib and Rasulpur in the Indian Punjab. During the flight in Indian airspace, the captain took the plane to a height of 20,000 feet, and the plane flew in the Indian airspace for seven minutes.
The flight then re-entered Pakistani airspace from near the village of Jhagian Noor Muhammad in the Indian Punjab and then re-entered Indian airspace via the villages of Dona Mabboki, Chaant, Dhupsari Kasur, and Ghati Kalanjar in the Kasur district of the Pakistani Punjab. After three minutes, the plane re-entered Pakistani territory from the village of Lakha Singhwala Hithar in the Indian Punjab. The aircraft was at an altitude of 23,000 feet at a speed of 320 km/hr at that time.
After entering Pakistan’s airspace, the plane continued to Multan, traveling a total of 120 kilometers in Indian territory for almost ten minutes.
The challenges that pilots face when flying in adverse weather conditions, and the importance of air traffic control in ensuring the safety of air travel. The PIA has not issued any statement on the incident yet.
