ISLAMABAD: A major disaster was narrowly averted at Islamabad International Airport when a foreign airline’s aircraft attempted to land on a closed runway, officials from the Pakistan Airports Authority confirmed.
According to sources, the quick action of an air traffic controller (ATC) prevented the aircraft from landing on Runway 28L, which is currently closed for maintenance. Saudi Airlines flight SV728, arriving from Jeddah, approached the wrong runway despite the airport having issued a NOTAM stating that Runway 28L is closed and Runway 28R is operational.
The Saudi airline’s pilot mistakenly aligned the aircraft for landing on the closed 28L instead of 28R. The ATC immediately alerted the pilot about the incorrect runway alignment.
Sources said the foreign pilot insisted until the last moment that he was on the correct approach. The air traffic controller, acting swiftly, instructed the pilot to abort the landing and go around. On the second attempt, the Boeing 777 successfully landed on the correct runway.
At the time of the incorrect approach, numerous vehicles and personnel were present on Runway 28L for maintenance work. Had the aircraft landed on the closed runway, a catastrophic accident could have occurred. The flight was carrying hundreds of passengers.
The Pakistan Airports Authority has taken notice of the incident and initiated further review.
