All 122 passengers safe as Air India flight makes emergency landing in Pakistan

09 July, 2012

An Air India flight flying from Abu Dhabi in the UAE to Delhi had to make an emergency landing at a Pakistani airport after all the hydraulic systems of the plane failed. All 122 passengers are believed to be safe and have reportedly been offered meals at the airport by Pakistani authorities.

WHENEVER THERE is any news of emergency landing or plane crashes, the first thing everyone asks is - was it Air India? This time as well, it was Air India but luckily for the passengers and the crew, Pakistan responded quickly and let the flight land at Nawabshah airport in Sindh province early Monday morning.

After finding that all the three hydraulic systems of the Airbus A 319, believed to be a new aircraft, had failed, the pilot, captain Sunil Vashist, acting quickly sought permission to land in Pakistan and landed at 3:37 am.

According to NDTV, 122 people are onboard the plane and all are safe and have reportedly been provided meals at the airport by Pakistan authorities.

An Air India spokesperson in Delhi 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."

Pervez george, Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority spokesman has said that the captain preferred to have the passengers remain on board the aircraft even though Pakistani authorities, in a goodwill gesture offered to allow them to disembark.

A technical team will leave from Delhi and help bring back passengers but questions as to why all the hydraulic systems failed need to be answered. Had the pilot failed to read the warning or had the Pakistan airport been busy, anything bad could have happened.