Amritsar airport shuts airspace after drone scare, 2 flights diverted to Delhi, Chandigarh

Two flights were diverted after suspected drone activity near Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport in Amritsar, prompting a temporary shutdown of the airspace as a precaution. An ATC official said the airspace was closed around 9.50pm following reports of two to three drones near the airport.

Air India flight AI-855, arriving from Delhi, was sent back to Delhi, while IndiGo flight 6E-5028, arriving from Mumbai, was diverted to Chandigarh. Operations began resuming around 11.15pm after a security review.

Authorities described the incident as a precautionary measure and noted the airport lies within a high-security zone where drone activity is prohibited. The stoppage and subsequent resumption affected several passengers, with some reporting a lack of information from officials.

Police investigations indicated the drones may have been used to videograph a nearby sports event, such as a kabaddi competition, though authorities emphasized that drone activity is prohibited within an eight-kilometre radius of the airport. A search operation was underway with police deploying teams to nearby villages.