ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, PK-213, faced a critical emergency during its journey from Karachi to Dubai.
The Airbus A320, which departed at 2:05 AM, encountered a hydraulic system failure while cruising at an altitude of 36,000 feet over the Gulf of Oman. This malfunction caused the plane to descend rapidly by 26,000 feet in just six minutes.
The experienced pilot declared an emergency and requested support from Muscat air traffic control.
Despite the hydraulic issue, the pilot successfully addressed the problem mid-flight, choosing to bypass an emergency landing in Muscat and instead continue to Dubai at a reduced altitude of 10,000 feet for around 50 minutes.
Upon safely landing in Dubai, the aircraft was inspected before being cleared for its next flight to Islamabad and then on to Skardu.
A PIA spokesperson noted that the airline is currently facing an aircraft shortage due to recent administrative difficulties.
