A foreign airline flight travelling from Istanbul to Islamabad made an emergency landing in Baku, Azerbaijan, after experiencing a technical issue while flying through Azerbaijani airspace.
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According to aviation sources, the Airbus A330 aircraft developed a fault during the flight, prompting the crew to declare an emergency as a precaution.
Flight tracking platform FlightRadar24 reported that the aircraft experienced a disruption in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, affecting navigation. Following the incident, the pilot issued an emergency message and coordinated with air traffic control for a safe diversion.
Acting on instructions from air traffic controllers, the aircraft landed safely at Baku’s international airport without any reported injuries to passengers or crew.
The flight had originally been scheduled to arrive at Islamabad International Airport at approximately 3:35pm. After landing in Baku, passengers were disembarked and transferred to the airport terminal while technical teams began inspecting the aircraft and working to resolve the fault.
Following the completion of necessary technical procedures, the passengers resumed their journey and arrived in Islamabad around eight and a half hours later than scheduled.
The disruption also affected the airline’s return service to Istanbul, which departed with a delay of nearly nine hours due to the aircraft’s unexpected diversion and maintenance requirements.
Aviation experts note that GNSS signal interruptions can occur for various operational or technical reasons. Standard aviation procedures require flight crews to declare an emergency and divert to the nearest suitable airport whenever navigation systems or other critical aircraft functions are affected to ensure passenger safety.
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The airline has not reported any injuries or safety incidents resulting from the diversion. Airport authorities in Baku coordinated passenger assistance while engineers carried out inspections before the aircraft was cleared to continue its journey.