Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilot Tariq Ranjha on Sunday he landed his aircraft at London’s Heathrow Airport in London despite bring refused by the control tower.
According to sources, the control tower denied the request of landing the aircraft in the city due to the weather conditions. However, Ranjha kept insisting on landing the aircraft in London as the medical condition of a passenger, named Qasim Abu Bakar, was deteriorating.
The pilot kept flying the aircraft in the skies of London despite bad weather and also consuming fuel worth millions. The control tower, however, kept sending the message to the PIA pilot to divert the aircraft towards Manchester but the pilot’s request was finally accepted after an hour and was allowed to land the plane in the rough conditions.
After the landing, the aircraft was searched by London Metropolitan Police for 40 minutes after which the passengers were finally allowed to leave the plane after being cleared.
Britain’s Civil Aviation has requested the PIA to hold a formal inquiry into the matter to hold a proper investigation against the pilot and ascertain as to why he landed the aircraft despite the rough conditions, adding that medical care could have been provided in Manchester if the pilot had landed the plane there.
