A major aviation incident was narrowly avoided at Islamabad International Airport when a foreign airline’s Boeing 777 attempted to land on a closed runway, officials confirmed.
The passenger plan from Boeing arriving from Jeddah mistakenly tried to land on Runway 28L, which had been closed for maintenance.
However, a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) had been issued in advance which clearly states that Runway 28 Left was unavailable at the moment.
According to airport authorities, the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) monitoring the approach on radar noticed that the aircraft was heading towards the wrong runway and immediately warned the pilot.
Shockingly, the pilot repeatedly insisted that he was on the correct approach path.
The ATC issued an urgent order to abort the landing and execute a go-around.
The pilot then broke off the approach, preventing what officials described as a potentially serious accident involving hundreds of passengers on board.
On the second attempt the aircraft successfully landed safely on Runway 28R which was open for the domestic as well as international flights.
Airport authorities said the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has taken official notice of the incident and initiated a detailed inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the approach and crew response.
Separately, officials outlined the broader role of the Pakistan Airports Authority, which handles around 400–450 overflights through Pakistani airspace daily.
