Source Hindustan Times
AMRITSAR, PUNJAB — Flight operations at the Shri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport in Amritsar were suspended for nearly an hour and a half late Sunday night after suspected drone-like objects were spotted near the airfield, prompting a major security alert.
The unauthorized aerial activity forced the diversion of seven incoming flights—five to Delhi and two to Chandigarh.
According to Airport Director Anirudh Kumar Sharma, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) received a report from the Indian Air Force at approximately 9:45 PM about drone activity across the airfield. At the time, several aircraft scheduled to land were already circling overhead.
Following the airport’s standard operating procedures, a Joint Action Committee was immediately convened in the control tower. Assessing that the drones could disrupt scheduled landings, authorities shut down the airfield at 9:50 PM.
The diverted flights included services from Malaysia Airlines, IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express. A Malaysia Airlines flight arriving from Kuala Lumpur and flights from Sharjah were among the international routes affected by the sudden shutdown.
The incident triggered an immediate security response, with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Punjab Police, and other central agencies alerted. Amritsar is a border district, making the airport’s operational zone a highly sensitive security area.
However, investigations by the Raja Sansi police station later revealed that the drone activity was not a coordinated security threat. According to SHO Gurpreet Singh, the drones were being used to film a sports tournament in a village situated a short distance from the airport.
“These drones originated from the video recording of a sports tournament. Drones were used for this purpose without permission,” Singh stated, adding that flying drones within an 8-kilometer radius of the airport is strictly prohibited. The police have indicated that legal action will be taken against those responsible.
Following a security assessment confirming that the drone activity had ceased, the airfield was reopened for normal operations at 11:15 PM. Five of the seven diverted flights subsequently returned to Amritsar, while one Air India flight from Delhi was canceled. The Malaysia Airlines flight was rescheduled to arrive the following day.
