IndiGo flight 6E 2045 returns back to Delhi Airport after 'Blackout’ in Amritsar

The IndiGo flight was scheduled to be the first commercial service the holy city was to after its airport was reopened following five days of shutdown since May 7.

An IndiGo flight 6E 2045 from Delhi to Amritsar was diverted back to the national capital midway on May 12 after it was not allowed to land in Amritsar after precautionary blackout measures were enforced in Punjab's Amritsar and Hoshiarpur districts.

The IndiGo flight was scheduled to be the first commercial service to the holy city after its airport was reopened following five days of shutdown since May 7.

Multiple regions across Punjab, including Amritsar, Pathankot, and Hoshiarpur, were placed under red alert on May 12 evening following reports of drone activity near key military installations, triggering emergency blackouts and a high-security response.

Airline sources told Moneycontrol that a blackout in Amritsar led to the IndiGo flight 6E 2045, which had taken off from Delhi at 2026 IST, returning to the national capital where it landed around 2115 IST. While the blackout could be due to suspected drone activity in the region, the cause is yet to be confirmed.

Images from flight tracking platform flightradar24 shows that the IndiGo flight returned to Delhi just before its scheduled landing in Amritsar.

IndiGo flight 6E 2045 from Delhi to Amritsar was diverted back to the national capital midway on May 12.

"As a precautionary measure, lights have been switched off in some areas around Suranassi as there have been reports of drone sightings. We are verifying them. There is no (total) blackout as of now. There is nothing to worry, as confirmed by armed forces officers. They are on regular vigil as always," Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said in a message at 2115 IST.

The IndiGo flight was the first flight that was scheduled to land in Amritsar on May 12 after the central government resumed operations at 32 airports that were temporarily shut after May 7, including those in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, that were temporarily shut following escalation in military conflict with Pakistan.

A fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued by the Airport Authority of India on May 12, two days after both sides agreed to stop military action.

"Attention Flyers; reference notice issued for temporary closure of 32 Airports for civil Aircraft operations till 05:29 hrs of 15 May 2025.It is informed that these Airports are now available for civil Aircraft operations with immediate effect," the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said in a statement on May 12.

The AAI has also recommended travellers to check flight status directly with airlines and monitor airline’s websites for regular updates.

The airspace curbs were put in place after Indian forces hit nine terror sites in Pakistan on May 7 under 'Operation Sindoor', which was followed by a four-day military confrontation between the two countries. These airports were expected to remain closed till 5.20 am on May 15.