Bad weather: Pakistani private airline narrowly escapes disaster

Dubai: Pakistan's private airline Fly Jinnah's flight from Karachi to Lahore narrowly averted disaster on Saturday after it encountered a violent sandstorm while attempting to land at Allama Iqbal International Airport.

The aircraft, Flight FL-842, was forced into a go-around maneuver after intense mid-air turbulence and unstable landing conditions made it unsafe to touch down.

According to media reports in Pakistan, the aircraft was approaching the runway when sudden, powerful crosswinds and poor visibility hit. Air traffic control immediately instructed the pilot to abort the landing. The pilot regained control and flew the aircraft safely back to Karachi.

One passenger described the terrifying moments following the initial descent:

"The landing seemed routine at first. But as soon as the wheels touched the ground, a powerful sandstorm engulfed the plane. Within seconds, we were airborne again. The next 10 to 12 minutes were some of the scariest of my life. The plane was being thrown around violently, visibility was zero, and it felt like we were caught in a cyclone."

This is the second such incident involving the private airline n just eight days. The previous Sunday, another flight operated by the airline faced a severe dust storm while approaching Quetta, making four failed landing attempts before finally landing with low fuel levels.

Severe weather across Lahore and Islamabad on Saturday caused widespread flight disruptions. In Lahore alone, at least 22 flights were delayed, diverted, or forced to return.

Islamabad airport also reported significant disruption from rain and hailstorms. Several flights were either cancelled or delayed.