Delhi-bound aircraft lands in Lahore
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LAHORE: A Delhi-bound Qatar Airways cargo flight from Doha landed at Lahore airport for refuelling on Saturday after its pilot was told by Indian authorities to stay in the air till clearance of the runway.
A Civil Aviation Authority official told Dawn that the pilot requested the CAA for permission to land at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, which was allowed.
He said the Delhi airport authorities had told the pilot to stay in the air till the runway was cleared for landing because it was busy for other flights. He said the plane did not have enough fuel, therefore the pilot made a request to land in Lahore. It left for Delhi after refuelling.
Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2015
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Comments (77) Closed
Jun 14, 2015 08:39am
So what's the big deal about it. Why is it newsworthy. This is standard aviation practice.
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Jun 14, 2015 08:42am
I travel extensively in North America. I have experienced this situation many times where an aircraft has to make an unscheduled stop foe refueling.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:04am
So delhi airport is the only airport in India?
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Jun 14, 2015 09:08am
After all we are human.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:11am
It's shame that we don't have regular regular flights between India and Pakistan. Other than the Korea there are no other countries in the world that do not run flights between neighboring countries. Israel and Palestine don't need flights as one end of Israel to the other end of Palestine is driving distance.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:13am
Bravo, the understanding and humanitarian face of Pakistani/ Can't be said that Indians are as hospitable like that.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:14am
Bravo, the understanding and humanitarian face of Pakistanis.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:21am
Thank you Pakistan for the kind gesture.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:22am
NO PROBLEM!!
BUT THAT WAS STUPID OF THEM TO STAY IN AIR.
the wise pilot did well, it could have been so different and difficult to save himself and other passengers.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:25am
Good gesture to allow plane to land.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:35am
Pakistan has always been positive and tolerant towards India. India should realize this.
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Jun 14, 2015 10:21am
India should thanks to Pakistan on it.
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Jun 14, 2015 10:33am
Truely Delhi air port is very busy.Though infrastructure is world class but number of flight is too high.
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Jun 14, 2015 10:33am
Good, Pak airport made some profit due to this.
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Jun 14, 2015 10:33am
good neighbor act... India should officially thank for this.
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Jun 14, 2015 10:35am
Isn't Delhi quite far away from Lahore?
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Jun 14, 2015 11:24am
hahah, I almost laugh!
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Jun 14, 2015 11:34am
@hasan Name Delhi is there. You see! :P
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Jun 14, 2015 11:40am
What Indian would have done in such case? Arrest everyone on the plane and put them in jail for few months, empty the cargo. However, I think Pakistanis operate on much humane ground.
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Jun 14, 2015 11:50am
I wonder how many times Pakistan will come to rescue India!! Be it a case of rescuing Indians from Yemen or this case...We all know that how such goodwill gestures from Pakistan are reciprocated..Shame on India!!
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Jun 14, 2015 12:03pm
Shows the ineptness of the Indian airport....that's why its newsworthy. Its an International flight for heavens sake.
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Jun 14, 2015 12:14pm
@hasan It is newsworthy. It highlights the fact that many airports like Delhi schedules flights beyond their practical capacity and force the aircraft to burn more fuel by circling above airport. This practice must be stopped. Thank God that Lahore had spare capacity to help this flight land to collect fuel.
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Jun 14, 2015 12:48pm
BFD. A very normal occurrence in civil aviation.
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Jun 14, 2015 12:58pm
@hasan agree, but i think its indian bound plane landed in lahore for refuel. and pak allows that
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Jun 14, 2015 01:35pm
Its an international Aviation Law, and all airline have to abide by it.Its natural , so dont bother this is good for humanity
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Jun 14, 2015 01:41pm
We help India bound planes and they keep our Passengers locked up in planes on Delhi airport
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Jun 14, 2015 01:51pm
Does not make sense why the plane was not given preference by Dehli? what if no airports were around? Short distance flight have not enough fuel?
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Jun 14, 2015 02:02pm
@HASAN
Indians would have made a big deal out of it . surrounding it and making a political and media circus.
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Jun 14, 2015 02:17pm
it's not a news. it is just a routine matter of aviation.
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Jun 14, 2015 02:48pm
Now ofcourse we can expect to see comments on how Pakistan did India a big favour by allowing this plane to land. No one did the Indians any favours as this is standard practice.
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Jun 14, 2015 02:50pm
@Ghalib You didn't do the Indians any favours by allowing it to land. This is part of your international obligation to the aviation authorities.
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Jun 14, 2015 02:55pm
@Irfan Baloch Qatar has another option of declaring fuel emergency & going to the front of the landing queue. Wonder why the captain did not do that?
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Jun 14, 2015 03:10pm
Hope there is no conspiracy involved in this event.....
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Jun 14, 2015 03:11pm
what a stupide Air lines, can not check fuel .How good and safe this Air line will be. It was not flying Lahore to Latin America. Just few hundred Kms.More over this was an Qatar Airways not Indian air lines so nothing to do with India just it was flying to New Delhi
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Jun 14, 2015 03:12pm
Reading the pakistani comments,pakistanis have matured very much.they can be so proud of change.
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Jun 14, 2015 04:02pm
The Indian authorities should have delayed the flight take off right from the Qatar and adjust the timing accordingly. Such a scenario could have proved disastrous.
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Jun 14, 2015 04:38pm
Pakistan will always say welcome to India in future.
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Jun 14, 2015 04:43pm
Commercial planes always fly with one hour extra fuel or whatever it takes to reach the nearest airport if the intended destination airport is closed due to weather or some other reason. Delhi airport wasn't closed as such, they were just waiting for the runway to be "cleared". If there is a delay, airports always give priority to any planes who need to land quicker than other planes. Landing in Lahore doesn't make any sense.
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Jun 14, 2015 05:34pm
Lahore is some miles away from India. The plane could have landed in any of Indian punjab cargo airport.
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Jun 14, 2015 05:47pm
@Ghalib "We help India bound planes and they keep our Passengers locked up in planes on Delhi airport"
What perspective. When Indian bound plane lands in Pak, India should thank Pak for their hospitality. When Pak bound plane lands in India and India plays by its laws and international conventions of treating Pakistanis, then it is in the wrong. Very expressive.
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Jun 14, 2015 05:48pm
@Sandhu fools! India has nothing to do with it. It is a Qatar flight.
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Jun 14, 2015 06:10pm
Welcome to Lahore!
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Jun 14, 2015 06:19pm
First of all it is a bit strange that the aircraft didn't have enough fuel, as it only flew from Doha. Normally there is enough fuel capacity in it to fly another two to three hours. Secondly there is no news in it as cargo flight and it is not an indian aircraft. It is a friendly nations plane.
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Jun 14, 2015 06:20pm
dont forget the pia plane that landed in delhi few months ago..they didnt allow the passengers to off plane..n stay inside for few hours..trapped..hungry..
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Jun 14, 2015 06:21pm
Yes but what is the news??? This happens everywhere in the world. It was civilian aircraft not a fighter jet of india. Every country has to follow international aviation rules and airport authorities are abide by giving permission.
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Jun 14, 2015 06:26pm
So India has only one airport which is in New Delhi?
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Jun 14, 2015 06:35pm
Bro remember this was not an Indian plane, the plane was owned and operated by Qatar Airlines. So it was their call and not India's. What pakistan civil authorities did is just a normal practice followed by all the countries. If at all you have done any favour then it is to the Qatar Airlines and not to Indians.
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Jun 14, 2015 07:09pm
I wonder if sane Indians ever feel shame on these kind gestures from Pakistan where on the other hand Indians lock our passengers empty cargo and do all shameful things without any reason!
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Jun 14, 2015 07:12pm
@JAYANT OSWAL Yes but just see next time when any private airline plane bound for Pakistan makes request for landing at India! Indians certainly don't have that big heart as Pakistanis have!
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Jun 14, 2015 07:21pm
@owais cargo plane and not passenger.
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Jun 14, 2015 07:23pm
I'm a Pakistani and I am no India lover. But guys; all those who are asking India to thank Pakistan; this is standard procedure. No big deal. Besides, this was a Qatar Airways plane not Air India. Why should India thank Pakistan?
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Jun 14, 2015 07:25pm
@bkt good point. At least one and half hours distance. Question is why land in Pakistan?
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Jun 14, 2015 07:29pm
Not enough fuel in the plane? I thought this happened to Air India and PIA planes only.
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Jun 14, 2015 08:12pm
Although it was a standard procedure and norm in the world of civil aviation but what made it news worthy stems from the fact that Qatar Airways plane was not allowed to land at its original destination as scheduled by the Indians. Therefore working on a contingency plan, the flight captain was left with no other option but to look for the best possible alternative which was eventually executed upon.
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Jun 14, 2015 08:15pm
it is a standard procedure in civil aviation... nothing unusual
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Jun 14, 2015 08:37pm
@rana1 Yes now we will try to construct one more. There is Amritsar airport, Chandigarh Airport near Dehli why he opted is not under stood. There is an other airport in Dehli Safadarjung airport.
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Jun 14, 2015 08:42pm
@Sheraz This was not Indian plan and secondaly there many airports around Dehli , he could have landed in Amrritsar or Chandigarh, why he opted for Lahore I fail to under stand.
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Jun 14, 2015 08:53pm
Incompetent indian civil aviation, they should have first asked how long could this aircrafts stay in the air, and given it priority landing due to shortage of fuel.
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Jun 14, 2015 09:05pm
@Deepak ,Its interesting you give example of Israel/Palestine "driving distance". Maybe you are not aware of 15 ft high concrete barrier and heavily armed checkpoints.Its definitely not your sunday drive!
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Jun 14, 2015 09:50pm
Everyone's forgetting but similar incidence happened with the same Qatar airlines that was suppose to land in Lahore but landed in Delhi instead due to shortage of fuel this just happened 2 months ago .. Qatar airways need to do a better job fueling it's aircraft with a little bit of more reserve fuel in it's fuel tanks Incase of unexpected headwinds or ground emergency .
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Jun 14, 2015 09:55pm
@owais
It was a cargo plane and it is standard operating procedure.
Do people even read the article properly before shooting their mouths off in the comment section?
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Jun 14, 2015 11:13pm
@Sandhu ; it is international law to land any air craft nearest air port !!!!!!
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Jun 14, 2015 11:16pm
@bkt 250 miles
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Jun 14, 2015 11:56pm
No favour to India. The plane belongs to Qatar. Planes having to circle till they can land is not an extraordinary case; it happens everyday.
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Jun 15, 2015 12:25am
The plane could have landed at Amritsar International airport which only few kilometres from Lahore. I don't know why they didn't?
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Jun 15, 2015 12:32am
@Tariq Shah
It means that there are many many flights to New Delhi. It was a traffic jam of sorts.!!!
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Jun 15, 2015 02:00am
@puja if it can not handle the situation like this then how is it world class, their must be a contingency plan in place for such situations.. any way we are always ready to help..
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Jun 15, 2015 02:03am
@Ghalib brother they will act as per their nature and we as per ours..nothing new..
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Jun 15, 2015 03:19am
Flaw of airport administration
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Jun 15, 2015 03:48am
@puja The number of flights is even higher than the number of flights in and out of Chicago, London, Paris, New York, Singapore, Beijing, Bangkok, ....., is it ? Mate they need to improve infrastructure.
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Jun 15, 2015 03:55am
@Hope Whats big deal . it should news also. its a regular practice. through out the world.
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Jun 15, 2015 04:01am
It might be a standard aviation practice but what make it news because it happens between the two neighboring enemies.
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Jun 15, 2015 04:39am
@Pakistani The aircraft belong to Qatar airways. Pakistan has very good relations with Qatar and thousands of Pakistanis live and work in the country. Qatar airways serves many cities of Pakistan so does the PIA in Qatar. So it was not a favor to India. Generally, the airports give priority to planes low on fuel or having other emergency issues. Why indian aviation authorities did not allow the pilot to land when he was running low on fuel and could not wait in the air. This seems very strange but we have not heard the Indian side of the story.I am sure New Delhi airport has many runways to accomodate international and domestic flights. It takes only couple of minutes for the plane to land and clear`the runway.
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Jun 15, 2015 08:38am
@OmarFL
India should thank Lahore airport authorities for basic courtesy, I am an Indian.
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Jun 15, 2015 04:55pm
Pakistan has always been positive and tolerant towards the world. How bad does pakistan needs to prove this point that these news finds into national media.
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Jun 15, 2015 06:36pm
Guys its a CARGO plane......no pessanger on board, so what is humanitarian about IT !!!!
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Jun 15, 2015 07:15pm
@Hope thanks for Pakistan's help...
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