KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik has vowed that a transport inquiry will be conducted and the affected families will be given accurate information regarding the incident, ARY News reported on Friday.
The PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik, while addressing a press conference in Karachi, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the plane crash incident.
He said that the airline has lost its front line warriors and the cabin crew gave sacrifices of their lives. He added that all persons deceased in the plane accidents were ‘martyrs’.
The chief executive officer said that all certification of the crashed plane was complete. The plane, PK-8303, was fully prepared to take flight on technical grounds.
Read: PIA aircraft crashes in residential area near Karachi airport
He said that a thorough investigation is the only way to ascertain the facts behind the plane crash.
“We have cleared the airport hotels to allow the affected families to stay over there as the rescue operation will need two to three more day to be completed. We have offered the affected families to arrive in the airport hotels. I am appealing the citizens to not pay attention to the rumours.”
“The dead bodies of 19 martyrs were present in Jinnah Hospital and 22 in other hospitals,” said PIA CEO.
“The pilot had attempted to land at the airport but landing gear was not opening. The plane was crashed when the pilot made another attempt to land the aircraft. I am unaware of details about the survivors excluding Zafar Masood.”
Read: Pilot Sajjad Gul of ill-fated PIA plane declared ‘dead’
He announced that the incident will be investigated by the internationally certified experts in Pakistan in order to get accurate details.
“The pilot had informed ATC that he was prepared to land but something went wrong during the second attempt. The manufacturers of Boeing and Airbus aircraft monitor the activities of the planes. The manufacturer would also raise alert if safety is being compromised.”
“99 passengers were on board the [PIA] plane including the crew members. Ministry of Aviation will complete the investigation of the plane crash besides including of safety investigation board.”
The plane was manufactured in France and inducted in the PIA fleet after it is acquired on lease in 2014.
Read: Black box from crashed PIA plane found: sources
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft with more than 90 passengers and eight crew members on board crashed in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport earlier in the day.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials confirmed the national flag carrier’s flight PK-8303 that was flying from Lahore to Karachi crashed in Model Colony. The plane crashed moments before expected landing at the Karachi airport.
Several houses were damaged as the plane hit them while crashing.
Television footage showed thick plumes of smokes rising from the crash site. Ambulances and rescue officials arrived at the scene in no time as a heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies cordoned off the incident site.
