Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airport

Discuss issues and news related to PIA, Pakistani airlines and Pakistan's civil & military aviation.
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airport

Post by Abbas Ali »

October 24 - According to local news channels, a catering van has collided with a PIA aircraft at Lahore Airport.

The collision has damaged the aircraft. Exact nature of damage not disclosed so far.

The aircraft was getting ready to operate flight to Manchester. Most likely a Boeing 777.

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Abbas Ali »

According to latest news reports, the aircraft is confirmed as a Boeing 777 and one of its doors has suffered some sort of damage in this incident.

It has been decided not to send this Boeing 777 to Manchester. The aircraft was to operate flight PK-709 to Manchester.

A replacement aircraft is expected to arrive at Lahore Airport to operate flight PK-709.

Departure of flight PK-709 to Manchester is now expected at 5:00PM.

The damaged Boeing 777 probably after temporary repair work at Lahore will be ferried to Karachi for final repair work, according to news reports.

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Abbas Ali »

PIA Boeing 777-340ER (AP-BID) observed operating flight PK-709 from Lahore to Manchester today (October 24) on flightradar24.com.

http://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/pk709.

Not clear whether AP-BID is the replacement aircraft or the same Boeing 777 that was damaged at Lahore but repaired to operate this flight.

Btw, flight PK-709 left Lahore for Manchester at 7:45PM, according to information on Lahore Airport website lahoreairport.com.pk. Flight's scheduled departure time was 11:45AM meaning it suffered a delay of 8 hours due to the incident.

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Abbas Ali »

City 42 news channel in its news report about flight PK-709 incident showed this PIA Boeing 777 sitting on a remote parking stand at Lahore Airport.

It looks like Boeing 777-340ER (AP-BHW) that still has single green band on fuselage.

Image

According to the news channel, a replacement aircraft operated flight PK-709 because the damaged Boeing 777 was not able/allowed to operate this flight.

So it seems Boeing 777-340ER (AP-BHW) was damaged and her sistership Boeing 777-340ER (AP-BID) as replacement aircraft operated flight PK-709.

Departure of flight PK-709 at 7:44PM displayed at Lahore Airport.

Image

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
Zulfiqar
Registered Member
Posts: 940
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 5:31 pm
Location: UK

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Zulfiqar »

The Urdu text when translated reads that PIA aircraft crashed into the catering van, not the other way round (as I understand the incident happened).
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Abbas Ali »

That Urdu text I think is wrong because according to news reports of City 42 and other news channels, the catering van collided with a door of the Boeing 777.

Apparently the incident occurred when the catering van approached parked Boeing 777 for loading of meal carts.

Hope to find incident details in October 25 newspapers.

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Abbas Ali »

According to following news report, the Boeing 777 suffered minor damage and has been ferried to Karachi for repair work.

An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of this incident.

Image
Source: jang.com.pk

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Abbas Ali »

Information about number of passengers in following news report.
PIA flight delayed after van hits plane

Thursday, October 25, 2012

LAHORE -
IN an unprecedented incident at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, a PIA’s flight to Manchester was delayed by seven hours and forty five minutes after the aircraft was hit by a catering van.

The flight PK 709 was scheduled to leave for Manchester at 11:45am on Wednesday. The passengers had boarded the aircraft and it was all set to taxi and take off. However, the driver of the catering van drove the van right into the aircraft parked in the tarmac. This rather uncalled for need-for-speed without heed of the driver caused extensive damage to the side door of the aircraft, adding another aircraft to the already grounded toll of seven.

Owing to the serious nature of the damage, the aircraft was immediately evacuated and the 203 passengers onboard the flight were sent to the lounge. There were 183 economy class passengers, 16 business class and 4 infants onboard the flight.

The passengers were irked by this incident and there were those who found it hard to believe that the driver of the van could not spot something as humongous and obvious as an aircraft.

This is a new low for the national carrier, said a passenger. How can any such incompetent driver even be on the payroll, he questioned.

PIA manages its own catering services and the catering services fall under PIA’s Food Service Division. The driver therefore was a PIA employee and the responsibility of this rather unusual incident too lies with PIA.

The passengers were told that their flight would leave at 5pm local time and till then they would enjoy the hospitality of PIA in the lounge. After being served lunch, they were told that the flight was further delayed and the new time would be announced shortly.

The flight PK 709 finally left for its destination at 7:30pm on another aircraft. The damaged aircraft will be transported to Karachi for damage assessment only, as to how much the incident cost the national carrier which is already facing fleet deficit due to seven grounded planes and no money to pay for their repairs.

PIA has launched an inquiry into the matter and has assured that the driver and all those responsible for this will be taken to task.

Source: The News
Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
TAILWIND
Registered Member
Posts: 2067
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2006 4:52 am

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by TAILWIND »

Not something 'very' unusual. Happens frequently on airports around the world.
A310
Registered Member
Posts: 470
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:03 am

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by A310 »

And AP-BHW is back on track operating PK 203(LHE-DXB). Its strange as PK 203 is usually operated by Airbus A310 and this particular flight has suffered heavy delay. It maybe because of Hajj load. But good to see the long fellow back in the skies!
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52155
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Catering Van Collides With a PIA Aircraft at Lahore Airp

Post by Abbas Ali »

Was it repaired at Lahore Airport?

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image