Fact check: Video of PIA plane landing on inundated Karachi runway is over two years old

Published July 12, 2022
Screengrab of the video doing rounds on social media. — Twitter
Screengrab of the video doing rounds on social media. — Twitter

Monsoon rains in Karachi have brought unfiltered flows of both water and news this year, swamping social media with hundreds of videos, live updates, memes as well as some misinformation.

While television footage and other viral videos showed main roads and houses in the metropolis flooded with water, a video of a Pakistan International Airline (PIA) plane landing on the inundated Karachi runway was wide of the mark as it wasn't from the current spell of monsoon rains.

Apart from several Twitter accounts, the 10-second clip was run on several television channels and social media accounts across Instagram and Facebook.

Even former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry shared the video, using it to criticise the Sindh government, the PPP and its leader Asif Ali Zardari.

However, a fact check has refuted the news, with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirming that the video was three years old.

"An old video is being flushed around on social media that shows an airplane moving on a runway covered in water," it said.

"Please note that this is an old video, nearly 3 years old, and does not depict the present situation at Karachi's JIAP (Jinnah International Airport), which is normal, with drains working normally," the CAA added.

Separately, PIA spokesperson Saifullah Khan told Dawn.com that the video was over two years old.

Upon independent investigation, the claim of the video being years old was found to be accurate. Furthermore, Karachi airport and runway were actually operational yesterday despite heavy rains, although some flights were delayed.

Here are a few images of the airport.

A view of the Karachi airport on Monday. — Photo by Qazi Hasan
A view of the Karachi airport on Monday. — Photo by Qazi Hasan

According to officials all the drains were working normally at the Karachi airport. — Photo by Qazi Hasan
According to officials all the drains were working normally at the Karachi airport. — Photo by Qazi Hasan

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