The Lahore to Skardu flight was struck by a bird mid-air.
The incident forced the airplane to return to the airport because the strike damaged two blades of engine number 2.
On flight PA-481, a total of 149 passengers were offloaded.
Not only did the aircraft return, but the Lahore to Skardu flight was also cancelled. Additionally, the return flight from Skardu to Lahore has been cancelled as well.
In May, Commissioner of Quetta division, Muhammed Hamza Shafqaat revealed that two domestic flights in Pakistan—Fly Jinnah and PIA—averted big disaster in Balochistan after being caught in a powerful dust storm.
About the Fly Jinnah flight, he gave credit to the pilot who saved the passengers and landed the plane successfully despite harsh weather and dwindling fuel.
He tweeted about this, saying, “Miraculous landing in Quetta! Fly Jinnah’s plane attempted to land 4 times amidst severe dust storm, with fuel running low. Thankfully, the 4th attempt was successful, averting a potential disaster.”
As for the PIA flight, it was safely diverted to Karachi due to strong tailwinds.
He also clarified that news on social media of passengers getting unconscious is not true and all of them are safe.
