PIA flight bound for Jeddah makes emergency landing at Karachi airport
Pakistan
The flight was carrying 344 passengers, including a large number of Umrah pilgrims.
KARACHI (Dunya News) – A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Lahore to Jeddah was forced to make an emergency landing at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport after a bird struck the aircraft midair.
According to airline sources, the PIA flight PK-859 encountered the bird strike shortly after takeoff, causing severe damage to the cockpit windshield. The pilot, acting swiftly, decided to divert the aircraft and landed it safely in Karachi.
The flight was carrying 344 passengers, including a large number of Umrah pilgrims. Fortunately, all passengers remained safe, and no injuries were reported. Following the incident, the airline administration transferred passengers to nearby hotels while technical teams began inspecting the aircraft.
Sources said the aircraft is currently undergoing repair and maintenance work, which may take around 12 hours to complete. The flight’s departure to Jeddah is expected later tonight, once engineers finish the repairs and the aircraft receives airworthiness clearance.
