Air India plane makes emergency landing in Pakistan

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 9, 2012: An Air India plane made an emergency landing at Nawabshah airport in Sindh in Pakistan on Monday at 3:30 am. The flight, Airbus 319, was on it’s way from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi.

Local media reports say all 130 passengers on board the Air India flight were still inside the plane, but were safe. The flight was forced to land after all its three hydraulic systems failed.

The Pakistan Defence Ministry said that the plane landed after proper permission and conversation between the two controllers. The Ministry, however, said that since, there was no transit permission for the passengers, they will sit inside the plane till the new carrier comes.

Reports say that the Pakistani authorities offered the passengers to disembark, but the Air India pilots refused due to security concerns.

A relief plane will reach the Nawabshah Airport from Delhi on Monday. A technical team will also be taken on the relief plane to repair the damaged aircraft.

The captain of the Airbus aircraft, going from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi, contacted Pakistani authorities and sought permission for an emergency landing after detecting the problem with the hydraulic system, Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Pervez George told PTI.

In New Delhi, an Air India spokesperson said, "The aircraft was flying over Pakistan air space when the pilot saw a warning light in the cockpit and sought permission to land at the nearest airport which was Nawabshah."

The captain preferred to have the passengers remain on board the aircraft though Pakistani authorities had offered to allow them to disembark, George said.