[India Report] Air India plane makes emergency landing in Pakistan

PICTURE OF THE AIR INDIA AIRBUS WHICH MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN PAKISTAN. (Photo: Times Now)

An Air Inida passenger plane with 122 passengers on board made an emergency landing in  Pakistan Monday (July 9). But there was no casualties due to the emergency landing. The Airbus 319A bound for New Delhi from Abu Dhabi was forced to make an emergency landing because of  some technical difficulties.

The Indian plance made an unscheduled landing at Nawabshah Airport of Pakistan on 3:37 a.m. (IST), about 230 kilometer north east of  Karachi.  He also added that the aircraft landed safely and the flight’s 122 passengers and eight crew members were unharmed,  Pervez George, spokesman of Pakistan Civil Aviation, said. Later a special plane was sent from India to bring passengers back home.

According to an Air India spokesperson, while flying over Pakistan air space, the pilot noticed a warning light in the cockpit and sought permission for emergency landing at the nearest airport which was Nawabshah. Initially it was feared that all three hydraulic systems of the plane failed. The hydraulic systems control all major functions including steering and brakes. But another sources said that computer systems and the technical glitch caused a false alarm that all hydraulics systems had over heated.

Passengers were initially calm when the announcement was done for emergency landing, but they became impatient due to prolonged delay in landing, which was supposed to be done very shortly according to the announcement. Mr. Radhakrishnan, who were on the plane, said that it amounted to ‘claustrophobia’ when passengers were told to even shutter down the windows. Another passenger, Jaishree Purohit on arrival at Delhi, praised the pilot of the aircraft for handling the situation “brilliantly” and for ensuring the safety of the passengers and also said that “What I am happy about is that I landed safely in Delhi,”   The Hindu quoted them as saying.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION SHOWS AN AIR INDIA AIRBUS.

In Pakistan, officials also offered refreshments for the passengers and invited them to use the lounge at the airport, but the pilot preferred to keep them on board. Indian officials involved in the rescue operation said the Pakistani system worked at lightning speed. The DGCA was given speedy flight clearances from Pakistani civil aviation authorities. Their interior ministry even offered to give all 126 passengers and six crew members’ interim visas for Pakistan if they needed to stay for an extra day while the plane was repaired. “Passengers were very well treated by the Pakistani authorities. They had to get the equipment necessary for getting the problem sorted out, so the engineers had to go and put things together. Pakistani authorities were very positive and helpful.

Tension spread among the relatives of the passengers when they came to know about the emergency landing in Pakistan. There was complete chaos at Delhi airport, where a large number of people were waiting to receive their relatives, when the flight did not land around 5 a.m. But everything was OK when the passengers landed safely on Delhi and met with their relatives. The Hindu reported that Sanjeev Vasisth was quite happy to see his niece Muskaan safe and sound after what he described as “almost half-a-day of uncertain and anxious wait.”

Sudhanya Ghosh Intern Reporter news@theasian.asia