LAHORE- Pakistan International Airlines (PK) or PIA faces renewed safety concerns after flight PK150 landed on an unlit runway at Lahore Airport (LHE) on January 17, 2025, marking the latest incident in the airline’s troubled operational history.
According to FlightRadar24 data, the PIA flight took off from Dammam (DMM) at 11:30 PM UTC. After being airborne for approximately three hours, the flight made a diversion to Lahore.
Pakistan Airlines Pilots Blunder
The flight was operated by over 11-years-old Airbus A320, registered as AP-BON, and diverted to Lahore from its intended destination of Multan due to heavy fog conditions. Air traffic control cleared the aircraft to land on runway 36R, but the flight crew touched down on runway 36L, which had its lights deactivated at the time of the incident.
The airline management responded by grounding both the captain and first officer pending investigation. This incident comes at a particularly sensitive time for PIA, which recently received clearance from safety regulators to resume its European operations.
PIA’s operational challenges extend beyond this latest incident. The airline’s history includes controversial maintenance practices, such as the ritualistic sacrifice of goats, documented cases of passenger overcrowding, and the discovery of pilots operating with fraudulent licenses.
Financial instability compounds these operational issues. The airline struggles to maintain basic operations, including securing sufficient jet fuel for its flights.
The Pakistani government’s efforts to privatize the carrier have met fierce resistance from employees, resulting in violent protests involving law enforcement deployment of rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas.
The privatization initiative aims to address deep-rooted corruption within the organization, where the airline reportedly functions as a system of patronage. However, labor unions oppose these reforms, viewing them as a threat to established practices within the organization.
