International Team to Join Search for K2 Airways Crash Wreckage Next Month

An international deep-sea search team is expected to arrive in Pakistan by mid-to-late August to help locate the wreckage of the K2 Airways cargo aircraft that crashed into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Ormara, Balochistan, earlier this month.

The cargo plane went down on the night of July 7, and officials believe the wreckage is resting at a depth of nearly 3,000 meters, making recovery operations extremely difficult.

According to sources, the search mission will use advanced equipment, including remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), diving bells, airbags, and specialized deep-sea divers. The operation is expected to cost around $10 million and will focus on recovering the aircraft's crew, engine, fuselage, and flight data recorder, commonly known as the black box.

Officials said hopes of locating the black box through its underwater locator beacon are fading, as the transmitter's battery typically lasts for about a month. More than three weeks after the crash, no signal has been detected.

Sources added that the aircraft manufacturer and the insurer are also assisting efforts to locate the wreckage and determine the cause of the crash.

The aircraft was registered in Ireland and had been acquired on a dry lease by Pakistani stakeholder Raja Tariq and other shareholders. Under a dry lease arrangement, only the aircraft is leased, without crew. Because the aircraft is Irish-registered, any insurance payout will be made to its registered owner.