Search operation continues for missing cargo aircraft off Karachi coast

Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said that the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi

KARACHI: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 8th, 2026) The search and rescue operations entered a second day on Wednesday as authorities continued efforts to locate a private cargo aircraft that went missing off the Karachi coast while flying from Sharjah to Karachi.

Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said that the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi. The plane was carrying five crew members.

A large-scale search operation is underway involving the Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and merchant vessels operating in the area. Multiple naval and aerial assets have been deployed to locate the missing aircraft.

The Pakistan Navy has sent warships PNS Zulfiqar and PNS Hunain to the search area, while a PAF Saab surveillance aircraft and a Navy ATR aircraft operating from Turbat are assisting with aerial reconnaissance.

A spokesperson for the cargo company said contact with the aircraft was lost at 9:21pm while it was en route from Sharjah to Karachi.

The five crew members on board have been identified as pilot Muhammad Rizwan Idris, first officer Faisal Mehmood, loadmaster Muhammad Taufiq, engineer Arif Siddiqui, and Muhammad Hamid.

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As part of the investigation, authorities have sealed the cargo company's office at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport to preserve records and gather evidence related to the incident.

Flight tracking data indicates the aircraft had been cruising normally at an altitude of 35,000 feet and a speed of around 790 kilometres per hour before it suddenly made a U-turn and entered a steep descent. Within minutes, it lost nearly 34,000 feet of altitude, dropping to about 1,100 feet while slowing to 211 kilometres per hour before disappearing from radar.

The officials said no Mayday distress signal was received from the aircraft, indicating the emergency may have unfolded too rapidly for the crew to transmit a distress call.

The cause of the incident, however, remained unknown, and search teams continued to scour the area in an effort to locate the aircraft and determine what led to its disappearance.