An IndiGo flight traveling from Delhi to Srinagar ran into a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, causing severe turbulence mid-air. The aircraft, flight number 6E 2142, was carrying over 220 passengers, including Members of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress.

As the situation unfolded, the pilot quickly reported an emergency to the air traffic control (ATC) team at Srinagar Airport. Despite the intense weather, the flight managed to land safely, officials confirmed.

According to sources, while the plane was flying near Amritsar, the pilot noticed the bad weather ahead. To avoid the turbulence, the pilot asked Lahore Air Traffic Control for permission to briefly enter Pakistan’s airspace.

However, the request was turned down by Lahore ATC, the sources told PTI. This left the aircraft with no choice but to continue on its original route, where it encountered the storm.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is now investigating the incident to understand what happened and whether safety procedures were followed correctly.

Due to ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed at least 26 people, both countries have closed their airspace to each other’s airlines. This likely played a role in the refusal from Lahore ATC.

In a statement shared Thursday, IndiGo confirmed the details of the flight and noted that the safety of passengers was always the airline’s top priority.

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