What is PAN-PAN call and how it helped save the IndiGo flight after Pakistan denied airspace entry: All you need to know
Pakistan keeps outdoing itself in setting new lows. Days after using civilian airlines as a shield against India’s retaliatory attacks during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan denied permission to a distressed IndiGo Delhi-Srinagar flight on 21st May from entering its airspace briefly to avoid a fierce hailstorm. However, the crew’s PAN PAN call to Srinagar ATC helped the pilots navigate a safe landing at Srinagar International Airport.
What began as a routine flight from Delhi to Srinagar turned into a harrowing ordeal for 222 passengers aboard IndiGo Flight 6E 2142 on Wednesday evening, as the aircraft was violently caught in a hailstorm and severe turbulence near Pathankot. Startlingly, the Lahore’s Air Traffic Control had denied the pilots’ desperate requests to deviate from their course to avoid the impending weather threat, according to a DGCA statement released Friday (May 23, 2025).
According to the DGCA, the incident unfolded after the crew attempted to return to Delhi upon detecting a thunderstorm cell ahead. But boxed in by restricted military airspace and a closed Pakistan corridor, they had little choice. The Indian Air Force first declined permission to reroute toward the international border, and Lahore ATC refused a similar request shortly after. With the storm fast approaching, the pilots made a split-second decision to proceed through the weather system rather than risk circling back.
PAN PAN call and how the Indigo flight pilots and the Indian Air Force ensured a safe landing
As Lahore ATC denied permission to use Pakistani airspace briefly, the pilots manually flew the aircraft through the storm, maintaining remarkable control despite the extreme conditions. After navigating the worst of the turbulence, the crew declared a PAN PAN call to Srinagar Air Traffic Control, indicating an urgent situation requiring assistance but was not immediately life-threatening.
The PAN PAN call, which stands for “Possible Assistance Needed”, is a standard aviation protocol used to prioritise communication and request support, such as radar vectors. Radar vectors are specific navigational headings provided by ATC to guide the airplane along a safe flight route.
The Srinagar ATC promptly responded to the PAN PAN call by the distressed flight by providing radar vectors, which helped the pilots stabilise the aircraft carrying more than 200 passengers and navigate to a safe landing at the Srinagar International Airport at around 6:30 PM.
Although the nose radome of the aircraft suffered significant damage, all the passengers and the crew were safe. As per the DGCA, the incident is under investigation.
“Crew flew the aircraft manually till they exited the hailstorm.”. Upon completing all check list procedures (ECAM procedures), the crew announced PAN PAN (urgency message) to Srinagar ATC and asked for RADAR vectors and landed safely with auto thrust in normal condition. There was no damage to any of the passengers on the flight. Post-flight walk-around indicated Nose radome damage,” the DGCA stated.
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force is reported to have confirmed assisting the safe landing of the Indigo flight by providing control vectors and groundspeed readouts.
A NOTAM A0220/25 issued by Pakistani Civil Aviation Authorities was in vogue upto 23 May 25 midnight (2359 hrs), which mentions, “Pakistan airspace is not available for Indian registered aircraft and aircraft operated/owned or leased by Indian airlines/operators, including military flights. Northern Area Control advised the Indigo crew within the frame of the NOTAM (which is also a regular planning feature for all airlines in their route planning), ensuring the safety of aircraft and passengers.”
“The aircraft was immediately assisted in coordinating their route diversion by contacting Delhi Area and passing the requisite contact frequencies of Lahore control for an overflight weather diversion request. Once Lahore refused overflight clearance, and the aircraft proceeded towards Srinagar, the flight was subsequently professionally assisted till a safe landing at Srinagar airfield by giving control vectors and groundspeed readouts,” the IAF sources said.
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