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K2 Airways Boeing 737 Cargo Plane Vanishes Over the Arabian Sea
Pakistani authorities have launched a large-scale search and rescue operation after a K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft lost contact with air traffic control over the Arabian Sea, roughly 155 nautical miles west of Karachi. The aircraft, operating as Flight KTA1732 from Sharjah International Airport in the UAE to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, disappeared from radar late on July 7 after its crew reported a navigational system fault just minutes earlier.
How the K2 Airways Boeing 737 Disappeared
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, the crew alerted Karachi Area Control Centre to a navigational system issue at approximately 9:18 p.m. local time. Controllers began guiding the aircraft toward Karachi, but within roughly three minutes radar showed the jet descending sharply while also making an abrupt change in heading. Radar and radio contact were lost shortly afterward.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft cruising normally at 35,000 feet before losing nearly 5,000 feet of altitude in under a minute, then climbing several thousand feet before entering a steep, near-vertical final descent. The last recorded signal placed the plane at roughly 1,100 feet and dropping at an extremely high rate, consistent with a crash into the sea.
Search and Rescue Operation Underway in the Arabian Sea
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, issued a statement acknowledging that the aircraft had gone down in the Arabian Sea and directed the Civil Aviation Authority, Navy, and Air Force to intensify recovery efforts using all available resources. He offered condolences to the families of the missing crew.
Multiple assets have joined the search: the Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiquar and the PNSC Lahore were diverted to the last known location, while a Pakistan Air Force Saab 2000 Erieye surveillance aircraft and a Pakistan Navy ATR-72 patrol aircraft are scanning the area from above. A merchant vessel operated by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation is also assisting.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Aircraft: Boeing 737-400(BDSF) freighter, registration AP-BOI
- Operator: K2 Airways, a Karachi-based private cargo carrier
- Route: Sharjah (UAE) to Karachi (Pakistan)
- Contact lost: Around 9:21 p.m. PST, July 7, 2026
- Location: ~155 nautical miles (287 km) west of Karachi, Arabian Sea
- Crew on board: Five, all Pakistani nationals
Who Were the Crew Members Aboard the Missing Flight
K2 Airways confirmed the identities of the five crew members in a statement: Captain Mohammad Rizwan Idrees, the pilot in command; First Officer Faisal Mehmood; Load Master Muhammad Toufique Khan; and engineers Arif Siddiqui and Mohammad Hamid. The airline said it was fully cooperating with the Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies and expressed hope for their safe recovery.
A Well-Traveled 27-Year-Old Freighter
The missing Boeing 737-400 has an extensive service history spanning nearly three decades. It was originally delivered to Russian carrier Aeroflot in 1999 as a passenger jet, later flew for Garuda Indonesia, and was converted into a freighter in 2012 for Belgium's TNT Airways. After stints of storage in France and Jakarta under lessor AerCap, the aircraft eventually entered service with K2 Airways in late 2024. Notably, it was the airline's only operational aircraft, meaning the carrier's freighter fleet is now temporarily grounded.
Investigation and What Happens Next
An 11-member team from Pakistan's Bureau of Safety Investigation has been dispatched from Islamabad to Karachi to begin examining the circumstances of the disappearance, including maintenance records and any recoverable flight data. Reports indicate K2 Airways' office has been sealed as part of the inquiry. Aviation analysts caution that a reported technical fault alone does not establish the cause of a crash, and a fuller picture is expected to emerge once wreckage, if found, can be examined.
The incident has drawn comparisons to past aviation mysteries, including the long-unresolved disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, though officials stress it is too early to draw conclusions. Authorities say the search will continue as long as there is a realistic chance of locating the aircraft or its crew.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
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