PIA Hajj flight makes emergency landing in Saudi capital after ‘explosion’

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying Hajj pilgrims made an emergency landing at Riyadh Airport due to a high-temperature warning.

According to reports from passengers onboard, an explosion-like sound was heard during the flight.

The plane, which had originally departed from Karachi and was en route to Jeddah, was diverted to Riyadh as a precautionary measure following the warning.

Upon landing, all passengers were safely disembarked and taken to the airport lounge. The incident occurred when the PIA flight departed from Karachi at 10:00 PM. Mid-flight, the crew received an alert indicating high temperatures in the aircraft’s cargo hold.

The flight crew made the emergency stop in Riyadh as a result of their decision to divert the aircraft to the closest appropriate airfield in response to this potentially dangerous situation.

Following the emergency landing, technicians thoroughly inspected the aircraft to determine the cause of the warning. The PIA spokesperson later confirmed that the high-temperature alert was a false alarm. After ensuring the safety and functionality of the plane, the flight resumed its journey to Jeddah.