RIYADH: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Hajj flight, PK 839, originally destined to reach Jeddah, made an emergency landing at the Riyadh airport late Friday night.
A PIA spokesperson said that the pilot of the Boeing 777 aircraft received a high temperature warning in the cargo cabin during the flight after which he landed the flight in the Saudi capital.
However, after testing the aircraft, it was found out that the warning was false and the flight departed to its ultimate destination in Jeddah after a quick inspection, on Saturday.
The Hajj flight took off at 10pm yesterday from the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi for Jeddah. But it was diverted to Riyadh for an emergency landing.
A passenger told Geo News that an explosion was heard during the flight. As soon as the unexpected sound was reported, the plane was diverted to and landed in Riyadh.
Following the emergency landing, passengers were offloaded from the Boeing 777 plane and shifted to the lounge at the Riyadh airport.
Several air incidents have recently made headlines around the world with passengers worried for their safety.