PM orders stepped-up search after cargo plane vanishes over Arabian Sea
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the CAA, Pakistan Navy and PAF to intensify search efforts after a K2 Airways cargo plane disappeared over the Arabian Sea. The aircraft lost contact about 287 kilometres west of Karachi after reporting a navigation problem.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force to intensify search and rescue efforts after a private cargo aircraft travelling from Sharjah to Karachi disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea late on Tuesday night.
The prime minister asked the three agencies to use all available resources in the operation. He also conveyed sympathies to the families of the five crew members aboard the aircraft.
Aircraft lost contact west of Karachi
The missing plane was identified as a K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft. The Pakistan Airports Authority said the aircraft reported a navigation system problem at 9:18pm and was immediately assisted by the Karachi Area Control Centre.
The authority said that at 9:21pm the aircraft was seen on radar descending quickly and making a sharp turn. It then lost both radar contact and communication about 287 kilometres west of Karachi. The aircraft disappeared over the Arabian Sea roughly 300 kilometres west of the city while approaching Pakistani airspace.
The pilot had informed controllers of a navigation-related issue during the flight and sought help from the area control centre before contact was lost.
Airline and aircraft details
K2 Airways is a private airline based in Karachi. The company was established in May 2018 after receiving an airline charter licence from the government.
Flight tracking information identified the aircraft as registration AP-BOI, a Boeing 737-4M0(BDSF) that entered service with K2 Airways in 2024. The aircraft was first delivered to Aeroflot as a passenger plane in 1999 before moving to Garuda Indonesia in 2004. It was converted into a freighter in 2012 and later operated by TNT Airways and ASL Airlines.
The search operation remained under way following the aircraft’s disappearance, with the prime minister instructing the relevant aviation and defence authorities to continue the effort using all available means.
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