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Pakistan K2 Airways missing cargo plane: Everything we know about the Boeing 737-400
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A Pakistani cargo aircraft carrying five crew members disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea on Tuesday night, shortly after reporting a navigational system issue while flying from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Karachi.The Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft, operated by private carrier K2 Airways, lost contact approximately 155 nautical miles (287 kilometres) west of Karachi, prompting Pakistan to launch a large-scale search-and-rescue operation involving the Navy, Air Force and several civilian agencies.According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the crew reported a navigational system issue at 9:18 pm local time (2118 PST).Karachi Area Control Centre (ACC) immediately provided navigational assistance."However, at 2121 PST, the aircraft was observed on radar rapidly descending with a rapid heading change. Subsequently, radar contact and communication were lost approximately 155 NM west of Karachi," the PAA said in a statement.Search Operation Expanded Across Arabian SeaFollowing the loss of contact, the PAA activated its Rescue Coordination Centre and launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation at sea.Geo News reported that Pakistan has significantly expanded the search effort, deploying additional naval vessels and military aircraft to locate the missing plane.According to sources cited by the broadcaster, the Pakistan Navy has dispatched the warship PNS Zulfiqar, while a Pakistan Air Force Saab surveillance aircraft is scanning the search zone from the air.A Navy ATR aircraft has also been deployed from Turbat, and another naval vessel, PNS Hunain, has joined the operation. Commercial ships operated by the National Shipping Corporation have also been pressed into service to assist in the search, bringing together military and civilian resources.Government officials familiar with the matter also told Bloomberg that Pakistan has deployed Navy and Air Force assets, including a frigate, to support the rescue mission.Flight Tracking Data Shows Dramatic Altitude ChangesPreliminary flight tracking data released by Flightradar24 suggested the aircraft experienced significant fluctuations in altitude during its final moments.According to the flight tracking platform, the Boeing 737 first lost altitude, then briefly climbed before suffering a "second, sudden and dramatic loss of altitude."The Pakistan Airports Authority has not disclosed the cause of the incident or provided any official information about the condition of the aircraft or its crew.About The Aircraft And K2 AirwaysThe missing aircraft was a 27-year-old Boeing 737-400 freighter and the only aircraft registered to K2 Airways, a private airline based in Karachi that was established in May 2018.According to aviation data provider Cirium, the aircraft joined K2 Airways in 2024 under a lease agreement from AerCap. Before joining the Pakistani airline, it had served multiple operators as both a passenger aircraft and a cargo jet. Its previous recorded flight took place on June 28.The aircraft had departed from Sharjah and was operating a route that typically takes less than two hours.Pakistan's Aviation Safety Under ScrutinyThe incident has once again drawn attention to Pakistan's aviation safety record, which has witnessed several fatal crashes over the past two decades.The country's most recent major aviation disaster occurred in 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines passenger jet crashed during a failed landing attempt, killing 97 people on board and one person on the ground.As search operations continue in the Arabian Sea, authorities are yet to determine what led to the disappearance of the K2 Airways cargo aircraft or the fate of the five crew members on board. The Pakistan Airports Authority said the rescue operation remains underway in coordination with multiple agencies.About the AuthorAnjali ThakurAnjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving
Israel has sold air defense systems and computerized battle helmets for F-15 jets, have been sold to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to international reports. Notably, both these Gulf states maintain no diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. The air defense system from Israel, known as C-MUSIC, have also been used for the jets of the Royals of Qatar.Qatari royal jets fitted with Israeli laser defence systemAccording to a report published by the Haaretz news site on Sunday, three aircraft belonging to Qatar's royal family, out of a fleet of 11, have been fitted with Elbit Systems' C-MUSIC air defence technology.The installations reportedly took place between 2020 and 2022 while the planes underwent maintenance work in Basel, Switzerland. The findings were based on an analysis of publicly available photographs of the aircraft.Notably, the report highlighted that when Qatar's Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, travelled to Tehran last year, his aircraft was reportedly equipped with the Israeli-made defence system at the time, despite Iran's status as one of Israel's principal regional adversaries.How does the C-MUSIC system workC-MUSIC operates using a sophisticated radar mechanism designed to detect and track incoming man-portable air-defence systems, commonly known as MANPADs, which are shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.Once a threat is identified, the system deploys a high-powered laser beam to deflect the incoming projectile away from the aircraft.The technology is reportedly straightforward to operate, requiring no specialised training for crew, and can be installed in multiple locations across an aircraft's frame.Beyond its reported use on Qatari royal jets, the same system is also deployed on Wings of Zion, the official aircraft used by Israel's prime minister, as well as on the French presidential plane, among other government aircraft worldwide.JHMCS helmets and night vision gear supplied to Qatar and Saudi ArabiaThe Haaretz investigation also examined contractual documentation tied to a 2017 agreement between the United States and Qatar for the sale of F-15QA Ababil fighter jets. According to the report, Israeli defence firms secured subcontracts worth an estimated $150 to $250 million to supply advanced components and systems for the warplanes.Among the items reportedly supplied were 160 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, or JHMCS, units, each valued at approximately $200,000, alongside AN/AVS-9 night vision goggles.The JHMCS helmets are a piece of advanced headgear that projects flight data directly onto the pilot's visor, enabling them to track and engage targets with greater precision and speed.A similar pattern was reportedly identified in Saudi Arabia's defence procurement. Citing a 2010 statement from the US Department of Defense connected to a Boeing contract for the sale of F-15SA jets, the report noted that Riyadh received 462 JHMCS helmets and an equal number of night vision goggles, matching the models supplied to Qatar.Online footage reviewed as part of the investigation reportedly shows the helmets being actively used by Saudi pilots, according to Times of Israel.Israel's complicated relationship with Gulf defence tiesBoth Saudi Arabia and Qatar maintain no formal diplomatic relations or openly acknowledged defence cooperation with Israel. Nevertheless, in the period preceding the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, there had been considerable speculation that Riyadh was weighing the possibility of normalising ties with Israel, potentially following the framework established by the US-brokered Abraham Accords with other Arab nations.Qatar, by contrast, is generally viewed with greater suspicion within Israel. Doha's longstanding support for Hamas, which has included years of monthly cash transfers officially designated for fuel purchases intended to ease economic strain within the Gaza Strip, has become a contentious issue domestically, particularly as critics scrutinised Qatar's role throughout the war in Ga
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