Search under way after Boeing 737 cargo plane goes missing

A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane traveling from Sharjah Airport (SHJ/OMSJ) to Karachi-Jinnah International Airport (KHI/OPKC) with five crew members on board lost contact with air traffic control on ⁠Tuesday night after reporting a navigational ⁠system problem on ​its way to Karachi, Pakistan aviation authorities said.

Early flight data suggests that the 27-year-old converted freighter, operated by K2 Airways from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, may have crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after making a series of sharp altitude changes, followed by a steep final descent.

The Pakistan Airports Authority said that multiple agencies have launched a coordinated sea search-and-rescue operation to find the missing plane, but they are certain that all five on board could not have survived such a massive impact.

K2 Airways said it was cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other ​government agencies.

“We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety ‌of our colleagues,” the aircraft operator ‌said on Facebook. 

According to an airport authority, the plane reported a navigational system issue at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (4:18 p.m. GMT) while en route to Karachi.

Local air traffic control tried to guide the aircraft, but three minutes later radar systems showed the plane descending rapidly, and communication was lost, the authority said. The flight was about 287km west of Karachi at the time, according to the statement.

Flightradar24 tracking data showed the plane plunged about 5,000 feet in less than a minute, surged back 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds, before ‌a dive from 36,550 feet. The last transmitted data point placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, with a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute – about 400 kilometres per hour – an ​extremely steep and abnormal rate of descent.


It is K2s only aircraft and entered into service with the carrier in ​2024. 

Aircraft owner history
01/02/1999 Boeing as N1015B
27/04/1999 Aeroflot as VP-BAR
02/07/2004 Garuda as PK-GZO
06/06/2012 TNT Airways as OE-IAT
01/08/2016 ASL Airlines Belgium as OE-IAT
27/12/2024 K2 Airways as AP-BOI

Aircraft Information:

Airline: K2 Airways

Aircraft: Boeing 737-4MO

Registration: AP-BOI

Serial number: 29210

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-3C1
First flew: 08/01/1999
Age: 27.6 Years

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the five missing.

A morning at Brisbane Airport

A few days ago, I drove my brother and his partner to the airport for their trip to Seoul, South Korea. While my daughter and I waited for their flight to take off, we spent some time enjoying a bit of plane spotting.

REX SAAB 340B VH-ZRL (MSN 340B-398)
ZL5718 OFF TO ROMA (RMA) 30 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YQO (MSN 41010)
VA775 OFF TO CAIRNS (CNS) 13 YEARS

KOREAN AIR BOEING 787-9 HL8081 (MSN 34810)
KE408 OF TO SEOUL (ICN) 9 YEARS

QANTASLINK DASH 8 400 VH-QOY (MSN 4288)
QLK320D OFF TO BUNDABERG (BDB) 16 YEARS

QATAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VXI (MSN 33479)
QF862 OFF TO TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 24 YEARS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 100 VH-UQG (MSN 11520)
VA1235 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 32 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTI (MSN 1337)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL) 13 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A321-271NY VH-OGF (MSN 12835)
QF515 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 3 MONTHS

AIR NIUGINI BOEING 767-341 P2-PXV (MSN 30341)
PX3 ARRIVING FROM PORT MORESBY (POM) 26 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHM (MSN 379)
SQ255 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHN (MSN 385)
SQ2556 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271NX ZK-NND (MSN 8629)
NZ272 OFF TO WELLINGTON (WLG) 7 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271NX ZK-NNI (MSN 12593)
NZ206 OFF TO CHRISTCHURCH (CHC) 1 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-251N VH-A5A (MSN 12328)
JQ815 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 1.8 YEARS

QATAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VYJ (MSN 34182)
QF510 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 20 YEARS

AIR TRANSPORT INTERNATIONAL BOEING 767-323 N395CM (MSN 25447)
DEPARTED FROM AMBERLEY AIR FORCE BASE - DESTINATION UNKOWN

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4I (MSN 55402)
QLK1252 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 7 MONTHS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4G (MSN 55352)
QLK1281 OFF TO ADELAIDE (ADL) 1 YEAR

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A330-243 B-6543 (MSN 1280)
MU715 ARRIVING FROM SHANGHAI (PVG) 14 YEARS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-324S (MSN 478)
CZ382 OFF TO GUANGZHOU (CAN) 5 YEARS

CHINA AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 B-18905 (MSN 073)
CI53 ARRIVING FROM TAIPEI (TPE) 9 YEARS

FIJI AIRWAYS AIRBUS A330-243 DQ-FJT (MSN 1394)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN) 14 YEARS

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRBUS A350-941 B-LQA (MSN 324)
CX165 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 7 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYQ (MSN 12020)
JQ814 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 1 YEAR

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPJ (MSN 712)
QF61 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 20 YEARS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKG (MSN 36232)
JQ53 OFF TO SEOUL (ICN) 11 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPH (MSN 695)
QF51 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 20 YEARS

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES AIRBUS A321-271N RP-C9930 (MSN 8117)
PR222 OFF TO MANILA (MNL) 8 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-351NX VH-OYD (MSN 11797)
JQ567 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 2 YEARS

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861 A6-EOD (MSN 168) 

Qantas customers receive notifications for flight credit compensation

Lawyers, Echo Law and Piper Alderman, have officially started sending court-approved emails and text messages to over one million Qantas customers regarding a $105 million settlement over pandemic-era flight credits. 

The notifications, which began rolling out on Monday the 29th of June 2026, outline the process for passengers to participate in and claim compensation from the class action settlement. 

You are likely eligible for a payout if you meet the following conditions:

• Your domestic or international Qantas flight was scheduled to depart between the 1st of January 2020 and the 1st of November 2022.
•  The flight was cancelled by Qantas.
• You were issued a restricted flight credit instead of receiving a direct cash refund.

You still qualify even if you have already used the flight credit or eventually managed to receive a refund. 

Eligible class action members will receive a minimum of $50 per customer. 

Payouts can be significantly larger for passengers who held multiple bookings or experienced severe delays in recovering their money. 

After legal fees and litigation funding costs are deducted, approximately $68 million remains for direct distribution to customers. 

Timeline:
Group members must formally register by the 2nd of October 2026 at 4:00 PM AEST.
Payouts are expected to begin tracking into bank accounts by the end of 2026, subject to final Federal Court approval.

Important Next Steps & Scam Warnings
Check Original Information:

Notices are being sent progressively using the specific phone numbers and email addresses attached to your original ticket bookings. Check the Echo Law Flight Credits Class Action portal directly if you believe you qualify but did not receive a notice by the 10th of July 2026.

Unclaimed Credits: 

This settlement is separate from your general right to a full refund. Qantas permanently removed the expiry date on COVID-19 travel credits. If you still hold an unused credit, you can call Qantas directly to convert it to a standard cash refund. 

Scam Protection: Law firms are warning consumers to be highly vigilant against text or email scams trying to steal banking details. Legitimate notifications will guide you on how to safely lodge a registration via the official legal administration portal. 

Looking back on Asiana Airlines Flight 214

ASIANA BOEING 777-28E HL8254 (MSN 40198)

 

Asiana Airlines Flight 214, a scheduled transpacific passenger flight from Incheon International Airport South Korea (ICN/RKSI) to San Francisco (SFO/KSFO) met with tragedy on the morning of the 6th of July 2013. The Boeing 777-200ER operating the flight crashed during its final approach to San Francisco International Airport. Out of 307 passengers, three lost their lives, and another 187 sustained injuries, with 49 of them serious. Four flight attendants, seriously injured, were ejected onto the runway, still strapped to their seats, as the tail section detached after hitting the seawall short of the runway. This incident marked the first fatal crash of a Boeing 777 since its introduction in 1995.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flight crew's mismanagement of the airplane's descent during the visual approach, the pilot flying's unintended deactivation of automatic airspeed control, the flight crew's inadequate monitoring of airspeed, and the flight crew's delayed execution of a go-around after they became aware that the airplane was below acceptable glidepath and airspeed tolerances.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Asiana Airlines

Code: OZ/AAR

Aircraft: Boeing 777-28EER

Registration: HL7742

Serial number: 29171

Engines: 2 x PW PW4090
First flew: 25/02/2006
Age: 7.5 Years

Kai Tak Airport closed 28 years ago today

Kai Tak Airport, once one of the world’s most iconic and talked-about airports, closed its doors 28 years ago today.

A few basic facts to kick off with:

• Location: Kowloon City District, Hong Kong.
• Opened: 25th of January 1925 and served as Hong Kong's main international airport for 73 years
• Closed: 6th of July 1998
• Replaced by: Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok Island)
• Kai Tak completely closed overnight in a carefully planned switch.
• New airport opened: Hong Kong International Airport known as Chek Lap Kok opened at 06:00 the same morning 

After closure the terminal buildings were later demolished, and the site was reused as a

• cruise terminal
• housing development
• sports facilities (Kai Tak Sports Park today)

The runway area partly remains as reclaimed 
For most of its life, Kai Tak was Hong Kong’s only international airport and sat right inside a dense urban area—apartments, streets, and markets were directly under flight paths.

What was it that made Kai Tak legendary I hear you ask.

1. The “heart-stopping landing”

• Aircraft approached over Victoria Harbour and Kowloon City
• Famous “checkerboard turn”: pilots had to turn sharply at low altitude to line up with the runway
• Planes flew very close to apartment rooftops
• Passengers could literally see into people’s homes
• Tension, noise, vibration, people on rooftops watching planes pass overhead like giants.

2. The runway experience

The airport had only one runway (13/31), which extended into the harbor on reclaimed land and measured 3,390 metres (11,122 feet) when it closed.
• Runway stuck into the harbour
• Surrounded by buildings and hills
• Strong winds + tight space made landings difficult
• “Passengers would often grip their armrests as the plane banked sharply over Kowloon…”

Key moments:
Last scheduled arrival: Dragonair flight from Chongqing landed at 23:38 (5th of July)
Last scheduled departure: Cathay Pacific flight to London left at 00:02 (6 July)

Other facts:

• One of the busiest airports in the world
• Extremely tight landings between skyscrapers
• Known for “dangerous but skilled” aviation reputation
• Tourism and aviation enthusiasts worldwide gathered just to watch planes land

Residents in Kowloon City were used to:
very loud aircraft noise overhead, windows rattling during takeoff/landing, tourists peering into neighborhoods from planes

To all my followers across the USA, Happy Independence Day!

  

To all my loyal American followers wherever you may be in the world, on behalf of my family and myself, we would like to wish you a Happy Independence Day to you and your family! 

May the spirit of patriotism and love for your country fill your hearts today and always. 

Whether you are attending parades or block parties, outdoor concerts and performing arts, spending time with family, friends and loved ones or just relaxing and watching the fireworks, we hope you have a wonderful, safe day.

Remembering Iran Air flight 655

Iran Air flight 655 was a scheduled passenger flight from Tehran (IKA/OIIE) to Dubai Airport (DXB/OMDB), United Arab Emirates, via Bandar Abbas Airport (BND/OIKB), Iran and was shot down on the 3rd of July 1988 by two SM-2MR surface-to-air missiles fired by the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser of the United States Navy.

The flight departed from runway 21 at 10:17 local and climbed straight ahead. At 10:23 the missiles were fired from the USS Vincennes and hit the aircraft, an Airbus A300, while it was flying its usual route over Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, shortly after the flight departed its stopover location, Bandar Abbas International Airport. The tail and one wing broke off as a result of the explosions.

All 290 people, 274 passengers and 16 crew, on board were killed. The attack occurred during the Iran–Iraq War, which had been continuing for nearly eight years. Vincennes had entered Iranian territorial waters after one of its helicopters drew warning fire from Iranian speedboats operating within Iranian territorial limits.

The official report stated that 10 attempts were made to contact Iran Air Flight 655: seven on military frequencies and three on commercial frequencies, addressed to an "unidentified Iranian aircraft" and giving its speed as 350 knots (650 km/h; 400 mph), which was the ground speed of the aircraft their radar reported. Flight 655's crew, however, would have seen a speed of 300 knots (560 km/h; 350 mph) on their cockpit instruments, which was their indicated airspeed, possibly leading them to conclude that Vincennes was talking to another aircraft.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Iran Air

Code: IR/IRA

Aircraft: Airbus A300B2-203

Registration: EP-IBU

Serial number: 186

Engines: 2 x GE CF6-50C2
First flew: 16/03/1982
Age: 6.4 Years