KARACHI: The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) has launched an investigation into three separate incidents involving foreign aircraft that remain temporarily grounded at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.
In the latest incident, a cargo aircraft belonging to an international courier company sustained damage late Sunday night when it was hit by a loader truck during ground handling operations. The collision damaged the aircraft’s left wing lights and caused dents in three sections of the fuselage. According to initial reports, the airport tarmac was wet and slippery due to recent rainfall, which likely contributed to a suspected brake failure on the loader. No repair work has commenced so far. A technical team from abroad is expected to arrive shortly to inspect the aircraft and carry out necessary repairs.
Earlier, a flight headed for Istanbul was grounded for over 15 hours after a bird struck one of its engines while taxiing for takeoff early Friday morning. Passengers were shifted to the lounge as engineers worked on repairs. Officials said bird activity around the airport increases after rain, raising safety concerns. The PAA had issued warnings and deployed more bird shooters earlier this week in anticipation of such risks.
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In a third incident, a Gulf airline flight bound for Jeddah made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff following an engine fire alert. The pilot contacted Karachi Air Traffic Control (ATC) and was cleared for an emergency landing on runway 25L. As a precaution, fuel was dumped before the aircraft returned to the airport. All 218 passengers were safely evacuated. Initial checks showed no actual engine fire, and engineers are currently inspecting the aircraft.
The PAA has ordered a full inquiry into the series of events and asked the ground handling company, Gerry’s dnata, to submit a detailed report.
Passengers from the affected flights have been accommodated on alternative aircraft.
