ISLAMABAD – A major disaster was narrowly avoided at Islamabad International Airport when a Saudi Airlines passenger aircraft was prevented from landing on a closed runway at eleventh hour.
Reports said the timely intervention of an air traffic controller prevented the aircraft from landing on a closed runway that was undergoing repairs.
The incident involved Saudi Airlines Flight SV728, which had arrived from Jeddah. The aircraft’s pilot initially attempted to land on Runway 28 Left, which was closed for maintenance. The Pakistan Airports Authority had already issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) regarding the closure of Runway 28 Left and the availability of Runway 28 Right for landing.
Despite the NOTAM, the Saudi pilot made the approach to the closed runway. The air traffic controller on duty quickly identified the error and alerted the pilot that they were heading towards the wrong runway. However, the pilot insisted that they were on the correct runway.
The air traffic controller, acting swiftly, instructed the pilot to abort the landing and make another approach. The second attempt saw the Boeing 777 successfully land on the open Runway 28 Right, avoiding a potentially catastrophic accident.
At the time of the incident, there were several vehicles and personnel present on Runway 28 Left, which could have led to a severe collision had the wrong runway been used.
The plane, carrying hundreds of passengers, was safely brought to a halt on the correct runway. The Pakistan Airport Authority has taken notice of the incident.
