Missing K2 Airways Freighter
Pakistan launches extensive search for K2 Airways 737 freighter after it vanishes.
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Key Points
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AP-BOI began service with K2 Airways in 2024; the aircraft originally entered service as an Aeroflot passenger aircraft in 1999, later flew with Garuda Indonesia, and was converted to a freighter in 2012; K2 Airways lists AP-BOI as its sole aircraft.
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Flight-time details show the crew reported a navigation system malfunction at about 9:18 p.m. local time, and radar contact was lost roughly three minutes later around 9:21 p.m., with the last known position about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
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The search-and-rescue operation involved the Pakistan Navy's frigate PNS Zulfiqar and the Pakistan Air Force, with merchant vessels in the area also directed to assist.
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Flight-tracking data indicate the aircraft underwent a dramatic altitude profile, including an approximate 35,000-foot drop in under two minutes before its disappearance.
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K2 Airways stated it is cooperating fully with aviation authorities and said, 'We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues.'
A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 freighter vanished off the southern coast near Karachi late on July 7, 2026, with five crew members on board. The plane, operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways, dropped off radar about 155 nautical miles west of the city after the crew reported a navigation system failure, according to Al-Monitor.
Flight-tracking data painted a dramatic final picture. The aircraft plunged from 35,000 feet, briefly climbed back to 36,650 feet, then entered a near-vertical dive. Its last recorded altitude was 1,100 feet, falling at 22,400 feet per minute. The crew's final transmission was chilling: "rolling or floating, 1732." Pakistan's Navy, Air Force, and nearby merchant vessels launched a large-scale search that is still underway.
Final Minutes: A Navigation Failure and Frantic Dive
The flight, registered as KTA1732, took off from Sharjah, UAE, at around 8:01 p.m. local time bound for Karachi. At 9:18 p.m., the crew called Karachi air traffic control to report a navigation system malfunction and asked for heading guidance. Three minutes later, at 9:21 p.m., both radar and radio contact went silent, according to Yahoo News.
The flight-tracking profile was extreme. The plane dropped nearly 5,500 feet in seconds, then shot back up to 36,650 feet within 30 seconds. It then entered its final plunge. Aviation expert Imran Aslam told ARY News: "I still cannot understand how the plane went down so abruptly instead of gliding." Even a plane with total engine failure should glide down slowly. Safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse urged caution, saying "it is too soon to say what any of it means without more information."
A 27-Year-Old Plane, Five Days in Maintenance, One Airline
The aircraft, AP-BOI, is a 27-year-old Boeing 737-400 converted from a passenger jet to a freighter. It first flew in 1999 with Aeroflot, later served Garuda Indonesia, and was converted to cargo in 2012. It then flew for TNT Airways, ASL Airlines Belgium, and FedEx before joining K2 Airways in October 2024, according to Ledger-Enquirer.
AP-BOI is K2 Airways' only aircraft. Just days before the crash, on June 28, it flew to Sharjah for repairs after a technical fault. It spent five days in maintenance at a facility called Northern Technik. The July 7 flight was a "ferry flight" — carrying no cargo, just returning the empty plane to Karachi. Investigators will closely examine what work was done during those five days.
Navy Frigate and Air Force Jets Comb the Arabian Sea
Pakistan launched a major search effort after contact was lost. The Navy sent the frigate PNS Zulfiqar to the last known position. The Air Force deployed a Saab 2000 surveillance plane. An ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft flew from Turbat. Merchant vessels in the area were also directed to help, according to Macon.com.
The search is happening during monsoon season. Rough seas and high winds in the Arabian Sea are slowing recovery efforts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told authorities to intensify the search and expressed "profound grief and sorrow." His office also offered condolences to the families of the five crew members — a move that observers read as a quiet signal that hope for survivors has faded. K2 Airways said: "We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues."
K2 Airways Effectively Grounded as Investigation Begins
Because AP-BOI was K2 Airways' only plane, the airline can no longer fly. The loss puts the company's survival in serious doubt. Pakistan's Bureau of Air Safety Investigation and Civil Aviation Authority are leading the inquiry. K2 Airways says it is fully cooperating with both agencies, according to Mahoning Matters.
The crash has also raised broader questions about older converted freighters. Aviation analyst Hakan Ikizoglu noted that aging passenger-to-freighter planes often lack the modern tracking systems found on newer jets, which limits the data available during emergencies. Investigators have also ruled out GPS jamming — which briefly affected the flight near Sharjah — as a direct cause, since tracking data shows the plane recovered normal signal over the Gulf of Oman before the crisis began.
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