Sunday, July 7, 2024 12:29 PM
PIA Strands Umrah Pilgrims, Prompts Special Flight
- Limited aircraft capacity leaves 50 passengers stranded in Jeddah
- PIA arranges special flight to transport passengers to Islamabad
- Passengers face financial distress and accommodation challenges in Jeddah
Image Credits: The Express TribuneA PIA flight departing from Jeddah leaves Umrah pilgrims stranded, prompting a special flight arrangement to Islamabad amidst financial distress and operational challenges.
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, PK-942, departed from Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia on April 14, leaving around 50 passengers stranded. The passengers, primarily Umrah pilgrims, were supposed to reach Islamabad on Sunday but were left behind due to the limited capacity of the aircraft.
PIA has responded to the situation by ensuring arrangements for a special flight to transport all stranded passengers to Islamabad promptly. One passenger, Samina Syed, shared the financial distress faced by the stranded passengers, highlighting disrupted flight confirmations and challenges with accommodation and food prices in Jeddah.
Passengers were accommodated in a nearby hotel while awaiting transportation to Islamabad, prompting appeals for assistance from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Delays in other PIA flights from Jeddah to Karachi and Karachi to Islamabad further aggravated passengers' frustrations, emphasizing the need for improved operational efficiency and communication within the airline.
The incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of ensuring smooth travel experiences for passengers and addressing operational irregularities promptly to avoid inconvenience and distress.
