On May 20, 1965 Pakistan International Airlines Flight PK705 from Dhahran was descending on the runway of Cairo airport. This was PIA’s inaugural flight to Cairo. 119 unfortunate people onboard died.
Among the victims was PIA’s trend setter air-stewardess Momi Gul Durrani.
At ATP we have done a number of posts of PIA – both on its high-flying early years (here, here, here) and its more troubled recent years (here, here, here). If ever there was a “Face of PIA,” it was Momi Gul Durrani. No PIA personality, with the exception of Air Marshal Nur Khan (who, in fairness, was already a celebrity before he came to PIA) has ever achieved such public recognition, affection and fame as Momi Durrani did.
Quoting from the Mr. Abbas Ali‘s website History of PIA:
Momi was one of PIA’s highly trained, professional and hard working cabin crew members of 1950s and 1960s. She was tall, fair with film-star looks. In short period of time she gained immense popularity and achieved status of a bright star and a legend in PIA’s glorious history.
Omar Kureishi, while writing an article in Dawn of March 30, 2003 recalled Momi in following words:
(For the inaugural PIA flight to Cairo) We had our VIP cabin crew including Momi Durrani, a Pathan girl, tall and fair with film-star looks. We had featured Momi in our advertisements. When she smiled, she made others smile.
In the first two photos, Momi Gul Durrani is seen in 1950s uniform of PIA. Once again quoting from website History of PIA (re. the first photograph):
This photos shows PIA’s legendary Air Hostess Momi Gul Durrani in 1950s uniform. This uniform was designed by Frenchman Chausee Fortaignelle who was with PIA on a 5 year deputation from Pan Am. In this design a white shalwar and dupatta were set off by a green shirt with white cuffs and collar. Shoes and bags were black. The most interesting item of this uniform was a jaunty green cap for the hostesses. This uniform design was used from 1955 to 1960
Photo to the right is the monument (graves) of 119 fateful passengers of PK705 in Cairo, Egypt.
Note: As written above, PK705 was an inaugural flight in a sense that it was the resumption of Karachi-Cairo service which had been suspended for many years until the fateful day of May 20, 1965.
References:
(1) History of PIA by Abbas Ali
(2) Dr. Ghulam Nabi Kazi’s Photo Selection at Flickr.com
(3) The Cairo Crash by Omer Kureishi
(4) Photo of the PK705 memorial is from Wikipedia
We never forget our dearers and nearers, we lost on20th May 1965, unfortunate aircrash near cairo airport, during landing
we lost the legends.
Gen Hayauddin. PA18 Chairman Nationa Press trust.
Capt Akhter Capt no 1. (PIA)
Capt Afzal Joheri.
Legendry Airhostess Momi Gul Durrani.
Miss.Mehmooda. Airhostess.
Miss.Nasima Airhostess.
Flt Eng Khalid.
PIA CAIRO BOEING AIRCRASH IN MAY 20TH, 1965
WAS A GREAT TRAGIC ACCIDENT FOR ALL OF US
WE REMEMBER THEM ALL THE TIME, WHEN THEIR GOOD OLD DAYS SERVED WITH US.
ALLAH REST THEIR SOUL IN PEACE ( AMEEN )
RIZVI
THOSE WHO BELONGS TO THIS MEMORY :
AT THAT TIME, I WAS WORKING IN KLM MIDWAY HOUSE, NEAR TERMINAL 1, AIRPORT, ALL THE FLIGHTS WERE ARRIVED AND DEPARTED FROM THIS TERMINAL,
IT WAS 19TH MOHARRAM, I JUST REACHED MY DUTY PLACE AT A SUDDEN, THIS TRAGIC NEWS SUDDENLY, SUCAME TO OUR NOTICE, PROBABLY ALL THE PIA ILLFATED PLANE CREW MEMBERS THOSE NOT LIVING IN KARACHI, LAST STAYED AT KLM MIDWAY HOSUE,
THIS WAS A BASE FOR OUT STATION STAFF.
AS I TODAY REMEMBER AFTER LAPSE OF OVER 40 YEARS.
PAST IS ANOTHER CENTURY.
ALLAH BLESS ALL THE TRAGIC CREW MEMBERS AND PASSENGERS.
It PIA not lost 720-B, Aeroplane, but we lost our lovely and
dynamic people, at that time in 1965, no advance medical research was practised, passengers all were burnt, Our East
Pakistani brethern were also there as Passengers and PIA staff,
the burnt bodies were buried in mass graves near Crash location.
Please see the website :www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3979570&o
http://www.photos from We remember:PIA PK 705 (20 May 1965 )
A tragic event we lost Miss. Momi Gul Durrani ( Miss PIA )
How forget our golden past, past is sometimes never past but
a, how we forget the creams of our grand one Airline,PIA,
PIA Midway House, Airport Inns Hotel, one called Speedbird House,when BOAC Airlines operated in 60s, they have stories
of past personalities.
Capt.Ali Akhter Khan,
Capt Afzal Johar,
Sweet Lovely Momi Gul Durrani.
Past now belongs them, but cannot forget them at all.
Boeing 720-B, AP-AMH AIRCRASH ON 20TH MAY 1965,
a great tragedy for we Pakistanis.
Faisal Rasheed KHan,
Walton, Lahore.