The first officer took control of the plane, coordinating with the operation center in Jeddah and the authorities of Karachi airport in Pakistan to land there.

The co-pilot of a Saudi Arabian airliner was forced to make an emergency landing at Karachi airport in Pakistan after the pilot was taken ill.

An official source at Saudi Arabian Airlines confirmed that after the departure of Flight SV891 on Thursday, flying from Lucknow, India to Jeddah, the pilot of the Airbus 330A suffered health problems – although no further details were given.

The first officer took control of the plane, coordinating with the operation center in Jeddah and the authorities of Karachi airport in Pakistan to land there, where the pilot requested that a doctor be ready to check on the pilot’s health.

The source said: “The co-pilot took over and landed the plane. The pilot received the necessary medical tests to assess his condition, the doctor then decided to transport him to the hospital for appropriate treatment.”

The source added that passengers were taken off the plane and sent to the airport where they waited until a replacement flight arrived having flown from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah with a fresh crew.

[vuukle]