Pakistan International PIA Faces Probe Over Runway Landing Error
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is under intense scrutiny after one of its flights landed on a closed runway in Lahore, triggering a full safety investigation. The incident, which occurred on January 17, 2025, has reignited concerns about PIA’s longstanding safety record, coming just days after the carrier relaunched international flights to Europe.
The incident involved PIA flight PK150, operating from Dammam Airport (DMM) in Saudi Arabia to Multan Airport (MUX) in Pakistan. Due to adverse weather conditions, including thick fog in Multan, the flight was forced to divert. Instead of landing at its originally intended destination in Multan, the crew opted for Lahore, where weather conditions were more favorable. The flight, operated with an Airbus A320-200 registered as AP-BON from the carrier’s fleet of 17 A320s, departed Dammam at 02:30 local time for a three-hour journey to Multan.
As the flight neared Lahore Airport, air traffic control cleared it to land on runway 36R. However, in a critical error, the pilots mistakenly touched down on the parallel runway 36L at 07:34 local time. While runway 36R had its approach and edge lights fully illuminated, the lights for runway 36L were completely switched off, indicating that it was not in use. Despite the error, the aircraft continued its rollout normally to the gate without any immediate operational issues.
Control tower staff quickly noted the mistake and filed a safety report with the authorities. As a result, both the captain and the first officer of the flight have been suspended from flying duties pending a thorough investigation into the incident. Industry observers and aviation safety experts are now closely watching the investigation as it promises to shed light on potential systemic issues within PIA’s operational protocols.
This latest safety breach comes at a particularly sensitive time for PIA. The airline has long been plagued by safety concerns and operational irregularities. In recent years, PIA has been working hard to shed its troubled reputation, which includes several serious past incidents. Notably, the airline was banned from flying within the European Union by EASA in June 2020 following severe safety lapses and a fatal crash in May 2020 that claimed 97 lives on board an Airbus A320 during a flight from Lahore to Karachi.
In December 2024, PIA celebrated the relaunch of its international services to Europe. The carrier’s inaugural flight from Islamabad to Paris took place on January 10, 2025, heralding a new era in its international expansion. PIA is also targeting flights to major European hubs such as London-Heathrow (LHR), Manchester (MAN), and potentially Birmingham (BHX). However, this recent runway mislanding has cast a shadow over its ambitious plans and raised fresh questions about its safety standards and regulatory compliance.
According to industry sources, PIA’s fleet comprises 32 aging aircraft with an average age of 18.2 years. This fleet includes 17 Airbus A320s, three ATR42-500s, six Boeing 777-200ERs, two Boeing 777-200LRs, and four Boeing 777-300ERs. In 2025, the airline plans to return more than a third of its stored aircraft to service, further intensifying the pressure to maintain operational safety and high standards.
In a December 2024 statement, a PIA spokesperson emphasized the company’s commitment to a robust 2025 operating plan, citing a schedule reliability and on-time performance exceeding 90%. Nevertheless, time will tell whether the recent runway error and its subsequent investigation will have an impact on PIA’s return to international markets. The aviation community and potential passengers alike are now watching closely, eager to see if corrective actions are implemented to restore confidence in Pakistan International Airlines and secure its long-term prospects in the global airline market.
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