Amritsar Airport suspends operations after drone sightings

Flight operations at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar were suspended for approximately 85 minutes on Sunday night after multiple drones were spotted near the airfield. The Indian Air Force reported the sighting to Air Traffic Control at approximately 9:45 pm, noting two to four suspicious objects hovering near the runway and sensitive areas, appearing to originate from the direction of Rajala village.

Following standard operating procedures, a Joint Action Committee was activated, leading to the temporary closure of the airfield at 9:50 pm. The incident forced the diversion of seven flights: five were diverted to Delhi, including a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur and two Air India Express flights from Sharjah, while two were diverted to Chandigarh, including IndiGo flights from Mumbai and Delhi.

Operations resumed around 11:15 pm after the committee determined the situation was under control and no further drone activity was detected. Security agencies, including the CISF and Punjab Police, have launched investigations into the identity and origin of the drones. The airport is located less than 30 kilometers from the India-Pakistan international border.