Drone Sighting Disrupts Amritsar Airport Operations

Amritsar airport operations were halted for nearly 90 minutes after drones were spotted, causing the diversion of seven flights. A Joint Action Committee was activated, suspending operations until normalcy was restored around 11:15 pm. An investigation by the police is ongoing.

Amritsar airport faced a significant disruption late Sunday night when drones were spotted across the airfield, causing operations to be suspended for nearly an hour and a half. This incident resulted in the diversion of seven flights, according to Airport Director Anirudh Kumar Sharma.

Sharma explained in an interview with ANI that the Air Traffic Control (ATC) unit received an alert from the Indian Air Force at about 9:45 pm, revealing drone activity across the airport. Reacting swiftly in accordance with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for such situations, a Joint Action Committee was activated in the control tower, leading to the temporary shutdown of the airfield.

The ensuing disruption meant that multiple aircraft had to hold overhead while seven flights were diverted, with two headed to Chandigarh and five to Delhi. Operations resumed around 11:15 pm once the situation stabilized. Meanwhile, authorities have launched an investigation into the drone sighting, with police overseeing the matter.