A GOAT being offered as a sacrifice (sadqa) before the take-off of a PIA ATR-42 aircraft on Sunday.—INP
A GOAT being offered as a sacrifice (sadqa) before the take-off of a PIA ATR-42 aircraft on Sunday.—INP

RAWALPINDI: In an effort to seek divine intervention to keep a flight safe and secure, staff of the Pakistan International Airlines sacrificed a black goat for ‘sadqa’ near an ATR-42 aircraft after it was given clearance for take-off from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Sunday.

Later the plane left for Multan, making it the first ATR-42 aircraft to be pressed into service since the start of shakedown tests on all such aircraft in the wake of an air crash near Havelian on Dec 7.

According to a spokesman for the national flag carrier, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had decided to ground the ATR-42 fleet until all its aircraft had been subjected to the shakedown tests and cleared for flight operations.

The grounding of the ATR fleet had badly affected the PIA’s flights to and from cities and towns like Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Moenjodaro, Zhob, Bahawalpur, D.G. Khan, Chitral and Gilgit.

The people wishing to board flights in these cities and towns had been advised to check status of their flights from the PIA Call Centre, at 111-786-786, before leaving for the airports.

The process for carrying out the shakedown tests of the ATR aircraft is still continuing, according to a source.

The CAA staff and personnel of the PIA’s quality control department are taking part in the process under which each of the aircraft will be examined thoroughly.

According to the PIA spokesman, an aircraft will remain grounded until it is examined properly.

He said that after it was cleared for take-off, an ATR-42 aircraft (PK-681) left Islamabad for Multan at 6.40pm and returned to the capital on its scheduled time of 9.45pm.

Also on Sunday, the airline operated four flights of C-130 aircraft, obtained from the Pakistan Air Force, for Gilgit and Chitral from the Benazir Bhutto International airport.

Published in Dawn December 19th, 2016

Opinion

Editorial

Gruesome murders
Updated 12 Jul, 2025

Gruesome murders

Long-term security can only be achieved when there is equitable development across Balochistan.
Solar policy
12 Jul, 2025

Solar policy

SOLAR net metering reforms are back in the limelight. On Thursday, Power Minister Awais Leghari announced that he...
New hope
12 Jul, 2025

New hope

EDUCATION shapes the destiny of a nation. Sadly, Pakistan’s public education sector is experiencing a national...
PIA privatisation
Updated 11 Jul, 2025

PIA privatisation

While it does give the privatisation authorities a much-needed head-start, it will not be sustainable unless preceded by policy and regulatory reforms.
Beyond expectations
11 Jul, 2025

Beyond expectations

THESE are tough times, but the country is lucky enough to still be considered home by a large expatriate workforce,...
Train in vain
11 Jul, 2025

Train in vain

TALK of ‘revival’ of the long-dead Karachi Circular Railway has turned into a running joke for denizens of this...