KARACHI: An aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) PK-785 made an emergency landing at the Moscow airport on Sunday after the plane – en route from Islamabad to London – developed a technical fault, a PIA spokesman said.
The spokesman said that flight PK-785 departed from Islamabad at 10am (PST) and landed at the Moscow airport at 3:30pm (PST), with 132 passengers, including four infants, onboard. All the passengers and the crew of the aircraft remained safe, and were looked after at the Moscow airport lounge, he added.
According to reports, the left engine (GE90) of the aircraft stalled and needed to be shut down. The aircraft drifted down to FL240 and diverted to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for a safe landing on runway 25R about 55 minutes later.
Another PIA flight, PK-701, which was already airborne for Manchester from Islamabad, was directed to land at the Moscow airport to pick up the passengers of PK-785 for onward journey to London, the PIA spokesman said.
He said that the PIA management remained in constant contact with the Moscow airport authorities, the Pakistani embassy and the flight crew.
He said that the flight PK-701 landed at the Moscow airport at 10pm to carry the passengers of PK-785
