Claim: Pakistan International Airlines’ pilot mistakenly landed a Peshawar-bound flight in Karachi.
Fact: The flight landed in Karachi due to technical issues in the aircraft.
A Facebook user shared a video (archive) of angry passengers on an airplane, with the caption: کا پائیلٹ پشاور جانے والی فلائیٹ کو غلطی سے کراچی لے آیا // کیا ایسی غلطی ممکن ہے ؟ PIA”
[Translation: PIA pilot brought a Peshawar-bound flight to Karachi by mistake // Is such a mistake possible?]
In the video, the passengers can be heard questioning the pilot and aviation authorities about why a Peshawar-bound flight landed in Karachi.
Pakistan International Airlines
PIA, Pakistan’s national flag carrier, was established in 1954. In recent years, plane crashes and the issuance of dubious pilot licenses brought the airline under scrutiny. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) imposed a ban on PIA and other Pakistani airlines in June 2020 the Civil Aviation Authority uncovered that a significant number of pilots in Pakistan possessed fake or dubious licenses. This revelation raised serious concerns about the safety and integrity of aviation operations in the country, The Express Tribune reported.
In November 2024, EASA officially lifted its ban on PIA enabling the national carrier to resume operations after over four years of restrictions, reported Business Recorder.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reached out to PIA’s spokesperson, Abdullah H. Khan, who informed us that, “PIA flight PK-284 was en route from Dubai to Peshawar. During the flight, a technical issue arose, prompting the aircraft to land in Karachi.”
He explained that aircraft are redirected to Karachi because it serves as a base equipped with engineering and repair facilities. “As a precautionary measure, the flight was landed (sic) in Karachi, and all necessary steps were taken to ensure there was no risk to aviation safety.”
A keyword search using the terms “Peshawar,” “flight,” “landed,” and “Karachi” led us to a report by Aaj News. The article’s cover image featured stills of the viral video. According to the article, Journalist Tariq Abul Hasan, associated with Geo News, clarified that PIA flight PK-284, traveling from Dubai to Peshawar, made a technical landing in Karachi due to a mechanical issue.
Frustrated passengers protested onboard after being kept inside the aircraft for hours without access to the lounge. They were eventually sent to Peshawar on a replacement flight, the report added.
The pilot, Muhammad Ahmed, explained that the delay was caused by the plane colliding with a pushback truck in Dubai. The report further stated that replacement parts were sent from Dubai, and a technical landing was required in Karachi to change the crew as they neared their duty limits.
In his Facebook post, Tariq Abul Hasan also highlighted broader issues in PIA, including poor maintenance due to a lack of spare parts, grounded aircraft, and fewer flights. He attributed these problems to PIA’s senior management, particularly the head of the Engineering Department, adding that their negligence has undermined the airline’s engineering capabilities. Once considered the region’s best, PIA’s Engineering Department has reportedly deteriorated due to mismanagement and privatisation policies, he said.
Therefore, the claim that the pilot mistakenly landed the plane in Karachi is false; the landing occurred due to technical issues.
Virality
The claim was shared widely on Facebook including here, here, here, here, here, and here.
On Instagram, it was shared here and here.
It was also shared here on Threads.
Conclusion: The claim that a PIA pilot mistakenly landed a Peshawar-bound flight in Karachi is false. The flight landed in Karachi due to technical issues in the aircraft.
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Background image in cover photo: ARY News
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