Pakistan PM orders intensified search for missing cargo plane in Arabian Sea

A private cargo plane operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways vanished from radar late Tuesday night while flying over the Arabian Sea. The Boeing 737-400 aircraft was on a flight from Sharjah to Karachi when it disappeared approximately 300 kilometers west of Pakistan's coast.

According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the plane reported a navigational system issue at 9:18 PM. The Karachi Area Control Centre provided guidance, but by 9:21 PM, the aircraft was observed rapidly descending and making a sharp change in heading. Radar contact and communication were subsequently lost.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an intensified search and rescue operation. He has directed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Pakistan Navy, and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to utilize all available resources. The Prime Minister extended his sympathies to the families of the five crew members on board.

K2 Airways, established in May 2018, is a relatively new private airline. The aircraft involved, registered as AP-BOI, entered service with K2 Airways in 2024. It has a history of operations, having been originally delivered to Aeroflot in 1999, later flying for Garuda Indonesia, and serving with TNT Airways and ASL Airlines after being converted into a freighter in 2012.