NEW DELHI: DGCA on Friday said that the crew of Delhi- Srinagar IndiGo flight on Wednesday had sought permission to enter the Pakistan airspace to avoid turbulence but the request was rejected.

The IndiGo A321neo aircraft, operating flight 6E 2142, was flying near Pathankot when it ran into extreme weather conditions, including a hailstorm and severe turbulence.

According to the DGCA, the flight crew initially sought permission from the Indian Air Force’s Northern Control to deviate left toward the International Border to avoid the storm. The request was denied.

As the weather worsened, the crew attempted to reroute through Pakistani airspace by contacting Lahore Air Traffic Control. However, this request was also refused.

“With limited options and the aircraft already in close proximity to the thunderstorm, the crew decided to continue on the same heading and penetrate the weather system to reach Srinagar by the shortest possible route,” the DGCA said in a statement.

Despite the challenging conditions, there were no injuries reported among the passengers. The aircraft, however, suffered damage to its nose section, specifically the radome, which typically houses weather radar equipment.

The DGCA confirmed that the incident is under investigation.

(With inputs from PTI)