Cargo Plane Company Issues Statement After Aircraft Goes Missing En Route from Sharjah to Karachi
KARACHI:The company operating the missing cargo aircraft has issued a statement after the plane disappeared while flying from Sharjah to Karachi.
According to the company’s statement, the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control at **9:21 p.m.** on Tuesday while en route to Karachi.
The company confirmed that **five people** were on board the aircraft: pilot **Muhammad Rizwan Idris**, first officer **Faisal Mahmood**, loadmaster **Muhammad Toufiq**, engineer **Arif Siddiqui**, and **Muhammad Hamid**.
Meanwhile, sources said the office of the private aviation company at Jinnah International Airport has been sealed to preserve records related to the incident.
An air traffic controller stated that the pilot did **not issue a “Mayday” distress call** before contact was lost, suggesting there may not have been enough time to declare an emergency.
Sources further revealed that the aircraft had recently been sent to Sharjah for repairs after developing a technical fault and remained there for **five days**. It was returning to Karachi on a **ferry flight** (without cargo) after maintenance.
The aircraft was reportedly repaired by a company identified as **Northern Techniques** in Sharjah.
A spokesperson for the Pakistan Airports Authority said that a **Rescue Coordination Centre** was activated immediately after the incident, and a **search and rescue operation** has been launched at sea. Multiple agencies are participating in the ongoing search for the missing aircraft.
