LAHORE – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been slapped with more than Rs10 million in fines by Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) over delays in delivering passengers’ baggage and alleged shortcomings in passenger services.
The penalty puts national carrier under fresh pressure as the airline, despite receiving a formal notice and a deadline to clear the dues, has yet to pay the full amount and is instead seeking a reduction or waiver of the fines.
PAA issued a formal penalty order against PIA after baggage was not delivered to passengers within the required time following flight arrivals. The airline was given September 25 as the final deadline to deposit the complete amount, but the penalty remained unpaid despite the warning.
The largest portion of the penalty has been imposed at Islamabad Airport, where PIA was fined more than Rs7 Million. At Lahore Airport, the airline was handed another Rs1.485 million penalty.
The action comes amid wider scrutiny of baggage-handling and passenger-service standards at airports across Pakistan. The PAA has said it is monitoring service standards and taking action against airlines over delays in baggage delivery.
PIA previously been warned multiple times regarding passenger facilities, while operational irregularities and delays in ground handling have continued to trigger penalties.
The airline officials, however, have disputed responsibility for baggage delays and blamed shortcomings in airport infrastructure and handling capacity. PIA General Manager Traffic Tariq Majid said baggage delivery at Islamabad Airport is being affected by inadequate conveyor belts and scanners.
He added that the situation becomes more challenging when several flights land at the airport around the same time, creating additional pressure on baggage-handling operations.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan also attributed delays to limitations in the operational capacity of the airport authority. He said the fines imposed on airlines are part of routine regulatory action and pointed out that other airlines are also penalised for service-related violations.
PIA is now engaged in discussions with the Pakistan Airports Authority in an effort to have the fines reduced or waived, according to the airline’s spokesperson. The latest development comes as the PAA steps up enforcement over passenger-service standards. Between July 1 and August 15, 2026, the authority reported 19 baggage-delay cases involving eight airlines, with combined fines of Rs1.62 million in those cases.
