Ten days later, on 10 August, it was delivered to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and was registered as AP-AWB.

[1][2] The airliner operated as Flight 740 from Jeddah to Karachi, during which it carried pilgrims returning from the Hajj.

The first warning of an emergency came at 01:47, 21 minutes after takeoff, when a flight attendant informed the pilots that a fire had started in the rear of the cabin.

The pilot radioed a request to return to Jeddah because smoke was coming into the cabin and cockpit.

[2] The cause of the accident was an in-flight fire in the cabin area, which, through its intensity and rapid extension, eventually incapacitated the flight crew.