Suspected drone sightings near Amritsar airport divert three flights, halt operations temporarily
Why It MattersEven short, unconfirmed drone sightings can cascade into multi-flight diversions and stranded passengers, underscoring how airport security precautions carry operational costs regardless of whether a threat is confirmed.
What happened
Suspected drones were spotted near Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar late Sunday night, prompting authorities to suspend runway operations as a security precaution. The suspension diverted three incoming flights that were approaching the airport at the time.
Air India flight AI-855, arriving from Delhi, was turned back to Delhi. IndiGo flight 6E-5028, arriving from Mumbai, was diverted to Chandigarh. Malaysia Airlines flight MH-118, arriving from Kuala Lumpur, was diverted to Delhi.
The disruption left passengers stranded at the airport. Some travellers expressed frustration over the absence of clear communication, alleging that no airport officials were available to provide information during the incident. Airport operations returned to normal at approximately 10:15 pm.
Industry impact & what to watch
Unidentified drone activity near active runways forces a binary response from air traffic authorities: suspend operations until the airspace is confirmed clear, or risk a collision with an aircraft on approach or departure. That precautionary suspension, not confirmation of an actual drone, is what triggered the diversions at Amritsar, and it is a pattern seen at airports worldwide whenever a sighting cannot be immediately ruled out.
For three flights operated by three different carriers, the knock-on costs were real even though the underlying threat was never verified: reroutes to Delhi and Chandigarh, fuel burn, crew duty-time pressure, and passengers left without updates on the ground. Airports in this position face a dual challenge, managing the physical risk while also managing the information flow to stranded travellers, and complaints about the latter in Amritsar point to a gap in passenger communication during security-driven disruptions.
What happens next depends on whether any drone activity is confirmed through further investigation, and whether the airport or aviation authorities disclose findings on the source of the sightings.
