A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 777-300ER was forced to make an emergency landing in Dammam on Friday, December 19, after suffering a technical malfunction that led to a rapid descent and the deployment of oxygen masks.
Emergency at FL 350
Flight PK860 was en route from Jeddah (JED) to Lahore (LHE) with hundreds of passengers on board. Approximately 90 to 120 minutes into the flight, while cruising at 35,000 feet, the aircraft experienced a sudden technical failure.
The incident triggered the automatic deployment of oxygen masks in the cabin. Following standard emergency procedures for a loss of cabin pressure, the flight crew initiated a rapid descent, dropping the aircraft to 10,000 feet in just 10 minutes.
The pilots declared a general emergency by Squawking 7700 and diverted to King Fahd International Airport (DMM) in Dammam, where the aircraft landed safely approximately three hours after its initial departure from Jeddah.
Passenger Recovery and Replacement
To minimize the impact on stranded travelers, PIA dispatched a replacement aircraft—a Boeing 777-200ER (registration AP-BHX)—to Dammam. The substitute flight successfully transported the passengers to their final destination in Lahore.
Low-Altitude Ferry Flight to Karachi
The aircraft involved in the incident is a 16-year-old Boeing 777-300ER (registration AP-BMS), originally manufactured in 2009.
Following initial inspections in Dammam, the aircraft was cleared for a ferry flight (PK6242) back to PIA’s main maintenance base in Karachi (KHI) today, December 20. Because the cabin pressure system was compromised, the aircraft performed an unpressurized flight, maintaining a low altitude of approximately 9,000 feet for the duration of the journey to ensure the safety of the ferry crew.
The aircraft is now undergoing extensive repairs and systems testing at the Karachi engineering facility before it can be returned to commercial service.
