KARACHI: An Indian flight bound for Jeddah was reportedly diverted to Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport with a passenger on board.
According to aviation officials, an IndiGo flight from New Delhi had to make an emergency landing in Karachi when a 55-year-old male passenger fell ill after the plane entered Pakistani airspace.
Despite oxygen being administered by the cabin crew, the man’s condition worsened, forcing him to make an unscheduled landing.
On humanitarian grounds, the pilot contacted the Karachi Air Traffic Control and sought permission for an emergency landing.
After receiving clearance, the flight was diverted to Karachi, where it landed safely.
A medical team from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority immediately boarded the aircraft and provided medical assistance to the passenger, stabilizing his condition.
The passenger, an Indian Muslim, also took the medicine.
Airport sources said that after the problem was resolved, the flight took off from Karachi and returned to Delhi instead of Jeddah.
This is not the first instance of international cooperation in emergencies as several Indian flights have landed in Karachi, as Pakistan owns an important transit air corridor on its territory.