ISTANBUL — A Turkish Airlines plane en route to Islamabad, Pakistan, made an unscheduled emergency landing in Azerbaijan this evening after the crew declared an emergency while flying over the Caspian Sea region.
Turkish Airlines flight TK710, operated by an Airbus A330-300 (registration TC-LOE), took off from Istanbul Airport (IST) for a routine overnight flight to Islamabad International Airport (ISB).
Emergency situation in the air over the Caspian Sea
The first two hours of the flight proceeded normally. However, while flying at 39,000 feet, the crew suddenly declared an emergency.
Following this announcement, the pilots began a rapid descent, turning the wide-body aircraft towards Baku, Azerbaijan.
Flight overview:
- Flight number: TK710 (Istanbul to Islamabad)
- Aircraft type: Airbus A330-300
- Registration: TK-LOE
- Cruising altitude: 39,000 feet
- Redirection airport: Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Baku (GYD)
The plane landed safely on runway 34 of Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport shortly after a rapid descent. Emergency response teams were prepared on the ground to meet the arriving aircraft.
The exact nature of the emergency has not yet been confirmed by Turkish Airlines, and it remains unclear when the flight will be allowed to resume flying to Islamabad.