According to Privatization Commission officials, PIA now has a positive equity of Rs.30 billion, 18% sales tax on aircraft leasing has been waived and international routes have also been approved. Photo: file
A Pakistan International Airlines flight en route from Jeddah to Lahore made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a technical alert was received mid-air, triggering the deployment of oxygen masks and causing panic among passengers, including dozens of Umrah pilgrims.
According to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson, flight PK-860 was scheduled to land at Lahore airport at 20:00 but it was diverted to Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport due to a technical problem. Officials say the plane was carrying 381 passengers.
The pilot successfully made an emergency landing at Dammam airport where emergency protocols were activated. During the landing, oxygen masks were automatically set up inside the cabin, and all passengers were soon after safely disembarked.
Read: PIA returns to British skies after five years
The PIA management arranged for an alternative flight which was dispatched from Pakistan to transport the stranded passengers to Lahore. The airline said arrangements were being made to ensure passengers reached their destination at the earliest.
In a similar incident in November, PIA flight PK-859 from Lahore to Jeddah was forced to divert mid-flight and land at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport because the first officer’s windshield cracked. The incident caused panic among the passengers and PIA officials said the windshield would be replaced before the passengers continued their journey to Jeddah on the same or alternate flight.
