A Lahore-to-Jeddah flight carrying Umrah pilgrims was forced to make two emergency landings at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on the same day due to technical issues.
According to aviation sources, flight PA 470, an Airbus A320, departed from Lahore for Jeddah but developed a technical fault midair. The pilot diverted the aircraft to Karachi for an emergency landing.
The pilgrims were shifted to a hotel, while the aircraft was declared unfit for further travel and grounded. The airline later arranged an alternate aircraft to continue the journey.
However, after taking off from Karachi again later that night, the replacement aircraft also faced an emergency. Shortly after departure, the plane was forced to return for another emergency landing.
Airline officials confirmed that the second aircraft had struck a bird shortly after takeoff. The pilot promptly informed Air Traffic Control (ATC) and landed the plane back in Karachi as a precautionary measure. This aircraft, too, was grounded following the incident.