Peshawar-Bound PIA Flight Lands in Karachi by Mistake

In a surprising turn of events, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilot mistakenly landed a flight bound for Peshawar in Karachi on Sunday night. As reported by english.aaj.tv.News.

The incident, involving flight PK-284, which was traveling from Dubai to Peshawar, has gained widespread attention following a viral video showing passengers’ frustrations.

According to journalist Tariq Abulhasan, the flight had to make an unscheduled landing at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport due to a mechanical issue. Passengers onboard were initially kept inside the aircraft for several hours, leading to significant unrest as they protested the lack of movement to a lounge.

The video circulating on social media captures the passengers’ dissatisfaction with the situation. The passengers were eventually transferred to a replacement flight to Peshawar after several hours of delay. The pilot, having reached the maximum duty limit of 12 hours, was granted an additional four hours by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), resulting in a total of 16 hours to resolve the situation.

The technical landing was necessary to change the crew, as the operating staff were approaching their extended duty limits. Abulhasan also highlighted ongoing issues with PIA’s aircraft maintenance, attributing some of the technical difficulties to a shortage of spare parts.

He reported that, despite increased revenue, PIA management has been reluctant to purchase necessary aircraft parts, partially due to the ongoing privatisation process of the airline. Officials in the Engineering Department have expressed concerns that this reluctance to invest in maintenance is impacting the airline’s operational reliability.

The incident occurred shortly after Flight PK-284 took off from Dubai, and it was redirected back to Karachi following instructions from air traffic control.