ISLAMABAD – A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, PK-942, departed from Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia on April 14, leaving approximately 50 passengers stranded. These passengers, mostly Umrah pilgrims, were scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday.
Due to the limited capacity of the aircraft, 50 passengers had to be left behind in Jeddah. In response to the situation, PIA has assured that arrangements are being made to transport all stranded passengers to Islamabad today via a special flight.
بریکنگ نیوز
پی آئی اے نے سعودیہ (جدہ) میں پاکستانی عمرہ زائرین کو مصیبت میں ڈال دیا
پچاس سے زائد پاکستانی مسافروں کی 14 اپریل صبع کی جدہ سے اسلام آباد روانگی تھی مگر PIA نے ائیرپورٹ پر چھوٹا طیارہ بجھوا دیا جو کم مسافروں کو لے کر اڑان بھر گیا pic.twitter.com/KBSvpp8HH1
— Israr Ahmed Rajpoot (@ia_rajpoot) April 14, 2024
Samina Syed, a passenger from Rawalpindi, shared her ordeal with a Pakistani journalist, highlighting the financial distress faced by stranded passengers. She revealed that her online flight confirmation for April 14 from Jeddah to Islamabad was disrupted as they were escorted back to the hotel from the airport. With funds depleted and inflation soaring, passengers found themselves in dire straits, receiving meager portions of food at high prices.
Passengers faced considerable difficulties as they were provided accommodation and basic facilities in a nearby hotel while awaiting transportation to Islamabad. The delay prompted demands for intervention from higher authorities, with stranded passengers appealing to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for assistance.
Additionally, flights from Jeddah to Karachi and Karachi to Islamabad experienced delays due to suspected irregularities in PIA’s flight operations, leaving passengers irked at the national airline. The incidents underscore the need for improved operational efficiency and communication to ensure smooth travel experiences for passengers.
