PIA aircraft damaged after collision with a catering van

 

Pakistan International Airline Flight 3085

KARACHI: A Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) aircraft was damaged after a catering van crashed into it at Karachi airport, Express News reported on Tuesday.

The engine of flight PK 3085, which was en route to Jeddah from Karachi, was damaged in the collision.

Concerns were expressed as this may affect the Hajj operation underway.

Earlier, PIA’s pre-Hajj operation of flying out intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia concluded successfully, with an overall punctuality rate of over 96% and 99% of seats booked, according to an airline communique.

A PIA spokesman said the national carrier flew 82,823 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia through 196 pre-Hajj flights from Pakistan and 1,989 pilgrims through four charter flights from Yangon, Burma.

Over 9,000 pilgrims travelled on regular PIA flights as well, bringing the total number of pilgrims travelling to the kingdom in 2012 to 94,019.