Security authorities were placed on high alert near Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on Sunday night following reports of unmanned aerial vehicle activity. The sighting was reported around 9:00 PM over a village located close to Rajasansi, prompting aviation controllers to trigger emergency safety protocols immediately. To prevent any collision hazard or security breach, three inbound passenger flights were diverted to alternative airports. Operations gradually returned to normal after 10:30 PM once ground teams and air traffic monitoring confirmed the airspace was clear.
Details of Rerouted Passenger Flights
The precautionary diversion affected aircraft operated by Air India, IndiGo, and Malaysia Airlines. Inbound flight AI-855 from Delhi to Amritsar was turned around mid-journey and instructed to return to Delhi. Meanwhile, IndiGo flight 6E-5028 originating from Mumbai was redirected to land at Chandigarh. International travelers were also impacted as Malaysia Airlines flight MH-118, flying into Amritsar from Kuala Lumpur, was rerouted to touch down in Delhi instead.
Airport Authority Explanation and Passenger Inconvenience
The abrupt schedule disruption left passengers distressed, causing temporary commotion across affected terminals. Addressing the situation, Airport Director Aniruddh Kumar Sharma confirmed that flight diversions were ordered purely out of security considerations following the drone sightings. Sharma noted that passengers understandably become anxious and frustrated during unexpected emergencies, particularly when travel itineraries must be altered at short notice. He stated that the operational environment was stabilized and normalized after roughly 10:30 PM.
Prior Sighting Caused Wider Disruption Last Month
This incident follows a similar security scare that unfolded at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport just last month, which led to the diversion of seven flights. During that previous episode, air traffic control sounded an urgent alarm after two to four unidentified aerial objects were spotted traversing the airport operational zone and runway surroundings. In that instance, the aircraft were diverted to Delhi and Chandigarh after suspicious flying devices approached from the direction of Rajala village and lingered over the sensitive high-security perimeter for several minutes.
