Late Friday night, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Hajj flight PK 839, bound for Jeddah, made an emergency landing at Riyadh airport following a “false” high temperature warning in the cargo cabin. The Boeing 777 aircraft diverted to the Saudi capital after the pilot received the alert mid-flight. However, subsequent inspection revealed no actual threat, allowing the flight to resume its journey to Jeddah on Saturday.
Passengers recounted hearing an unexpected explosion during the flight, prompting the diversion to Riyadh. Following the emergency landing, passengers were safely offloaded and relocated to the airport lounge.
This incident adds to recent air travel concerns globally. Just a week prior, a Singapore Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence, resulting in one passenger’s death and injuries to 30 others. Similarly, turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight left 12 individuals injured. These incidents, along with the recent helicopter crash involving the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, have heightened concerns about flight safety.
Researchers suggest that climate change may be exacerbating flight turbulence, citing evidence that clear-air turbulence, difficult for pilots to anticipate, is on the rise. Professor Paul Williams from the University of Reading highlighted the findings, indicating that the increase in turbulence could be a consequence of climate change impacting atmospheric conditions.
