Shaheen Air flight not allowed to land at Peshawar airport over sunset restriction

Flight NL-724 diverted to Lahore; flight operations after sunset were suspended at the airport three years ago

PESHAWAR: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) refused to allow a Shaheen Air flight to land at the Bacha Khan International Airport (BKIA) Peshawar on Wednesday as flight operations are suspended there after sunset.

Flight NL-724 was diverted to Lahore and those waiting for the passengers were informed about the development.

Flight operations after sunset were suspended at the Peshawar airport three years ago after militant attacks on planes.



“We'll never risk the lives of passengers and that's why we refused the plane to land,” a senior CAA official told The Express Tribune.

Shaheen Air Station Manager Mushtaq told The Express Tribune that there was no violation and the landing was simply refused because night operations were suspended at the airport.

"The flight had already departed from its destination," he replied when asked about why the flight was allowed to proceed despite the restriction in place.

"We tried and even spoke with the airport management, but they didn't allow the plane to land and we had to divert it," the manager added.



On October 7 2014, four unidentified men opened fire on a passenger plane at the Peshawar airport. The firing took place at around 4:30am and no casualty or loss of life was reported.

Earlier, a female passenger was killed and two crew members were injured when a PIA airplane came under fire near Peshawar airport on June 25, 2014.

Later on October 9, 2014, flights at night were suspended at the airport because of the attacks.