K2 Airways Boeing 737 vanishes off Pakistan
By Josh Wood Tue Jul 7, 2026
A K2 Cargo Airways Boeing 737-400, registration AP-BOI, has disappeared on its flight between Sharjah and Karachi. Flight KTA1732 was last seen 300km west of Karachi over the Arabian Sea at 16:21 UTC, with preliminary data from Flightradar24 indicating dramatic altitude loss before its disappearance. All five crew aboard are missing with the aircraft.
The final received data point showed the aircraft at 1,100 feet, with a vertical speed of -22,400 feet per minute and a ground speed of 114 knots. Minutes before the disappearance, the aircraft descended quickly to 29,475 feet before ascending to 36,650 feet, all within roughly two minutes. That profile points to a serious in-flight issue, though the cause has not yet been officially confirmed.
The aircraft took off from Sharjah at 15:01 UTC and made a right turn towards the UAE coast. Tracking data on departures is unreliable due to GNSS interference affecting all aircraft in the region amid ongoing tensions. The aircraft then left the interference zone and resumed normal ADS-B tracking, climbing to 35,000 feet over the Gulf of Oman. The jamming does not appear to be a factor in its loss.
The Pakistan Airports Authority posted on X that the crew reported a navigation system issue at 21:18 PST and was guided by Karachi Area Control Centre. At 21:21 PST the aircraft was seen rapidly descending with a sudden heading change before radar contact and communication were lost. These reports have not been independently confirmed.
Pakistan activated its Rescue Coordination Centre and launched a multi-agency search at sea. The Navy diverted the frigate PNS Zulfiqar to the area, while a Pakistan Air Force SAAB 2000 and a Navy ATR-72 maritime patrol aircraft joined from the air. The commercial ship PNSC Lahore was also deployed.
The loss is a heavy blow to K2 Airways. AP-BOI was the Karachi-based carrier's only aircraft, so its disappearance leaves the airline without an operational freighter.
The aircraft’s history
AP-BOI began life as a passenger jet delivered to Russian flag carrier Aeroflot in April 1999. Garuda Indonesia took it on from July 2004. It was withdrawn from passenger service and converted to a freighter in 2012, entering service with TNT Airways of Belgium that June. TNT Airways later became ASL Airlines Belgium, which flew the aircraft for TNT Express. It passed to FedEx Express in 2017 after FedEx acquired TNT Express. The 27-year-old jet was delivered to K2 Airways in October 2024.
What happens next?
Once the aircraft has been located, a full investigation is expected. Pakistan’s Rescue Coordination Centre is leading the search at sea, with no wreckage or survivors found.
Investigators will draw on ADS-B data, air traffic control recordings, the aircraft’s black box, cockpit voice recorder and maintenance history to find out exactly what happened. The flight crew reported a navigational fault, but authorities have cautioned it is too early to pinpoint the definitive cause.
No crash has been officially confirmed yet. AirlineRatings will update this story as verified information emerges.
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