A plane belonging to a foreign airline narrowly escaped disaster when the Airbus entered the shoulder area of the runway after landing at Sialkot International Airport, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

The Boeing 777 of an international airline which was coming from Dubai escaped a disaster at Sialkot airport when it entered the shoulder area leaving the runway. The plane also broke lights installed on both sides of the runway.

According to sources, the negligence of the pilot might have caused a bigger catastrophe. But the Civil Aviation Authority allegedly allowed the aircraft to fly back to Dubai without grounding it. 

The sources said that the CAA should have conducted the alcohol test of the pilot who taxiied the plane on the shoulder area. But the CAA neither carried out the inspection of the aircraft nor did it run the medical examination of the pilot. 

However, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has started a probe into the incident. 

The sources said that the Sialkot airport authorities wrote a letter to the international airline informing it about the damage of the runway lights and the incident. They also wrote another epistle to the AAIB requesting it to hold a transparent inquiry into the incident. 

The AAIB has included the incident of shattering of runway lights in its investigation. 

The sources divulged that the incident was occurred on August 12. 

 

Reporter Saeed Ahmad Saeed