The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air Marshal (retd.) Arshad Malik has commended the pilot who rescued the PIA flight from Kabul airport after the Taliban’s takeover on Sunday.
He called on Captain Maqsood Bajrani and praised his valiant efforts that saved a number of passengers, including foreign diplomats, from a potential attack during the emergency.
“Understanding of the situation and utilization of experience and skills in a crisis situation is a sign of professionalism,” he remarked.
Captain Bajrani’s flight PK-6252 was parked on Kabul Airport’s runway on Sunday, awaiting the Air Traffic Controller’s signal. He had been told to wait for two and a half hours while another PIA flight (Boeing 777) was allowed to take off.
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However, the situation escalated amid reports of the takeover, and the traffic control officials fled the airport, asking the captain to “make his own decision”.
Chaos ensued at the airport as it was thronged by thousands of Afghans attempting to board every departing flight in a desperate attempt to flee the country.
Observing the sensitivity of the situation, Captain Bajrani did not wait for clearance from the control tower and took off. He managed to land the plane carrying 170 passengers, including foreign diplomats, safely at Islamabad Airport.
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CEO Malik commended his timely and brave actions that saved both the passenger and the plane from an uncertain situation.
“If the decision had not been made in time, people would have been running after the PIA plane in the same way they went after the US military plane,” he added.
The evacuation of foreigners is underway after the Taliban officially toppled President Ashraf Ghani’s government in Kabul recently. Hundreds of Afghans who assisted NATO forces over 20 years are also fleeing the country along with foreign troops while the Taliban has declared amnesty for everyone.
