Unsafe flights: CAA not informed about firing on Russian aircraft

International airlines suspended services due to security concerns

PESHAWAR:

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has not received any report about the gun attack on a Russian cargo plane which occurred late Sunday night at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar minutes before the aircraft landed.

Requesting anonymity, an official of the aviation authority told The Express Tribune on Monday that the cargo plane was shot at before it landed, however, fortunately, no casualties occurred.

He added the CAA headquarters has still not received a report of the incident because the pilot did not share any information with the airport administration.

“The pilot did not inform us of the incident,” he said. He maintained that operations at the airport have not been suspended and were running as per schedule.

Another official of the CAA said, “Hajj flights as well as international flights are travelling on schedule. Neither we nor any airline has halted its activities, but we have increased security inside the airport.”

He added security provisions outside the airport had also been beefed up and security forces were already deployed after the attack on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane earlier in June.

CAA Spokesperson Pervez George confirmed to The Express Tribune that the incident has not been reported by the pilot as yet. “The pilot is bound to report to the CAA in case something happens to the plane, however, the CAA headquarters has not received any report,” said George.

Late Sunday night, shots were fired at a Russian cargo plane from the vicinity of Sheikh Muhammadi village. The bullets were fired from an AK-47 and only one hit the aircraft. The attack occurred when the plane was flying at a lower altitude while attempting to land at the airport.

Bloody trail

This was the second such attack on an aircraft in Peshawar in recent months. On June 24, unidentified gunmen opened fire at a PIA passenger plane while it was landing at BKIA.

The gun attack resulted in the death of a woman passenger and injuries to two others, including a crew member.

In the aftermath of the incident, almost all international airlines had suspended their services at the airport due to security concerns. However, they were resumed shortly afterwards.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2014.