Karachi Airport Attack
 

This was so predictable!

http://rt.com/news/164604-pakistan-airport-attack-dead/

And especially so when we get 'Flight Crew Notices', such as this one (issued to us on 12th February 2014), demonstrating yet another instalment of incompetent nonsense from Pakistan's airport security regimen: You really couldn't make it up!! :ugh:

Nice to see EK giving us an update on the well being of our colleagues who were in the middle of it all. No doubt they will be sent for a debriefing whenever they arrive back in DXB.

Thanks for the commercial updates though, I am sure there will be some extra profit to be made from this. I am sure someone on the top floor is thinking this a great opportunity for an inaugural 380 trip, think of the media exposure!!

Think it's about time I increased my life insurance policy or found a roster without KHI on it.

I agree, some info on colleagues that are stuck in KHI, and the station staff would be nice. Not particularly interested in what flights pax are being rebooked on!

Maybe a silly question, but why are they still there?

Pretty soon Kabul will be considered a safer destination...

Where was the update on our colleagues lowstandard?

Have I missed a mail?

Edit: ah, I understand. We got no update. It must be confidential. My sarcasm detector had been deactivated.

There is a TCAS missive out now.
But expect the usual 'Recall'.
He's used the wrong flight number.

Evidently, the bad guys were wearing airport uniforms as well as airport security uniforms and no doubt, had the "out of date but still valid airport ID's".

Did I read correctly the EK crew was already taxiing out and got called back to the gate?

Kap

Yes, recalled to the gate. Think I would have considered just effing off at max thrust.

Anyway, all is well now and completely safe again, so we are to resume normal operations to KHI.

Allegedly.

"The safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and will not be compromised"

Whenever you get an EK press report with regards to safety, they always write Passengers first then crew. Most airlines I've seen state that the safety of crew first in the phrase then passengers.
Obviously its not written in stone but to my mind this always seems to show just how much importance they show for their crew.

No doubt the crew have been told "not to talk to media if you do you're out of a job" For some who haven't been involved in a job which involves the active threat of death etc then this may well be one of the most stressful working conditions they may experience and once again EK will try and shut them up with scare tactics so that it doesn't possibly damage how incompetent they may have possibly been during an event as such or their precious brand image :ugh:

Just breaking....KHI airport is a again under attack. Sky News reporting this at 12.03 pm.

Update, flights now suspended again.

SOPS - Seems like EK615 was diverted into KHI for tech reasons. Wonder if it left yet - doesn't seem to have done.

The prior crew seem to have been given time off after their 21 hour layover in KHI.

The 601 has returned to the gate in KHI.

Airplane about to leave??
 

Caption taken from CNN.com

Pakistan airport terrorist attack: 7 bodies found in cold storage - CNN.com

Could this passenger he be a high value target??

We felt like sitting ducks'
Farooq Sattar, a member of parliament, was on a plane at the airport when the attack took place.
"My aircraft was on the tarmac ready to take off when suddenly, from what I understand, a message came to the pilot saying to get off the runway and return to the gate," Sattar said. "I heard shots and saw smoke."
"Before the pilot could announce anything, I had text messages blowing up my phone saying 'Karachi airport under attack.' We were in the aircraft for three hours, full of fuel. They locked the doors.
"The airport was poorly guarded. It was only due to some airport security personnel that the attack got thwarted and the militants didn't make it to our part of the airport. Passengers were extremely nervous. They started looking at me for answers."
"We felt like sitting ducks on the tarmac," he added.
Two crew members who were on their first ever flight "freaked out," Sattar said.

NCC seem to be very optimistic about a 1500 STD

The first ever flight seems to coincide with what we know here...supernumerary comes to mind

Gotta admire EK's resilience in it's pursuit of the almighty $.

According to EK website EK601 is departing :D

Full steam ahead for the revenue chaps

One could ask why after having watched the safety video, a distinguished member of parliament is disclosing that he had his phone turned on and was receiving text messages while on board an aircraft that was taxiing to depart?:ugh::=

It just goes to show the ignorance of the average passenger, and their inability to follow the most basic of directions during normal operations, let alone following command authority during an abnormal situation or time critical event.:uhoh:

You would expect any regulator to act on such an open admission, but alas....:hmm:

Watch out for each other. Fly safe,

The G.