RAWALPINDI: A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft, en route to Karachi from Sharjah, disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, late on Tuesday night.

According to reports, the aircraft lost contact with ground control while approaching Pakistani airspace, about 287km from Karachi.

The pilot had reported a ‘navigation issue’ during the flight and requested assistance from the Karachi Area Control Centre.

Later, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said the plane had reported a navigational system issue at 9.18pm and was promptly guided by the Area Control Centre.

However, three minutes later, the aircraft was observed on radar to be descending, after making a rapid heading change. Subsequently, radar contact and communication were lost about 155 nautical miles (287km) west of Karachi.

There were five crew members onboard the aircraft, including the pilot, first officer, flight engineer and two aircraft engineers.

Following the incident, the rescue coordination centre was activated, and a coordinated search and rescue operation was launched at sea through various agencies to locate the missing aircraft. The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation will investigate the incident.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2026