Two PIA planes miraculously avoid mid-air collision

Two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flying on the same route and altitude avoided mid-air collision over Iranian airspace near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) border.

It has been reported that the two carriers came close to mid-air collision due to the alleged negligence of the Iranian Air Traffic Control (ATC). However, the Iranian ATC then cleared the altitude for both airplanes. One was directed to dive while the other was asked to go higher in altitude as per standard practice.

One airplane was PIA Boeing 777, which was en route from Islamabad to Dubai while the other airplane was Airbus A320, en route from Doha to Peshawar.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesman said that flight (PK-211), a Boeing 777 was maintaining a 35,000-feet altitude when it came close to a Peshawar-bound PIA flight (PK-268) of Airbus A320 from Doha. He said the PK-268 flight was flying at an altitude of 36,000 feet at the time and was cleared to descend to 20,000 feet.

According to the PIA spokesman, the descent would have come in the flight path of PIA flight of Boeing 777 PK-211.

Over the negligence matter, the spokesman said that the Pakistan Airlines is writing to the ATC to investigate the matter.