ON May 31, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Hajj flight PK-839 made an emergency landing at the Riyadh airport. According to reports, a false high temperature warning in the cargo cabin was the culprit. If the warning or the explosion heard by the passengers was false, aircraft inspection should not have lasted as long as it did. Contrary to the assertion that the flight departed after a ‘quick’ check, the passengers were kept at the airport for around five hours.

All aircraft must be thoroughly inspected before take-off, and the ones that have a history of malfunctioning must not be used on long-haul routes.

Zainab Ali Ahmed
Turbat

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2024