An Air India flight from Delhi to Amritsar briefly infringed into Pakistan's airspace while approaching Amritsar airport on June 22, prompting regulatory action against the operating crew and an air traffic controller for not reporting the incident.
In a statement on Wednesday, Air India said the crew operating flight AI479 had "marginally infringed into the Pakistan airspace while manoeuvring a go-around at Amritsar airport".
"The incident has been reported to the regulatory authorities and is being investigated internally," the airline said.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airbus A321 aircraft, registered as VT-PPV and operating flight AI479 from Delhi to Amritsar, was asked to hold during its approach due to a runway inspection following a bird strike incident.
The regulator said that after the aircraft commenced its approach and was undergoing radar vectoring, it briefly entered Pakistan's airspace.
"The event was coordinated with Pakistan ATC Authorities," the DGCA said, adding that the aircraft subsequently diverted back to Delhi and landed safely.
The aviation regulator said interim action has been taken against the concerned air traffic controller at Amritsar and the operating crew for "non reporting of the event".
Neither Air India nor the DGCA reported any injuries or other safety issues arising from the incident.
The airline said it has informed the regulatory authorities and initiated an internal investigation into the circumstances that led to the brief infringement of Pakistan's airspace.
