PIA flights in disarray as 50 passengers left stranded in Jeddah

JEDDAH/KARACHI, (NNI): A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Jeddah to Islamabad left 50 passengers stranded at Jeddah Airport due to the small size of the aircraft, according to a spokesperson for the airline.

The passengers were provided with accommodation and basic facilities in a nearby hotel, while arrangements were made for their transportation to Islamabad, he said.

The flight, PK-942, was originally scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday, with most of the passengers being Umrah pilgrims. However, due to the limited capacity of the aircraft, 50 passengers had to be left behind in Jeddah.

In response to the situation, the spokesperson assured that a special plane would be arranged to transport all the passengers from Jeddah to Islamabad today.

The delay and inconvenience faced by the passengers’ prompted demands for intervention from higher authorities.

Furthermore, flights from Jeddah to Karachi and from Karachi to Islamabad experienced delays due to suspected irregularities in PIA's flight operations. The delays have left passengers irked at the national airlines.

The arrival of flight PK-732 from Jeddah to Karachi was delayed by more than four hours with multiple changes to the departure time. The aircraft of the said flight was supposed to take flight PK-300 from Karachi to Islamabad.

The flight set to depart at 7am was delayed for several hours due to the nonavailability of the aircraft.

These incidents highlight challenges faced by both passengers and airlines, underscoring the need for improved operational efficiency and communication to ensure smooth travel experiences.