There was no respite for pilgrims even on the fifth day of the national flag carrier’s post Haj-operation on Monday, as almost all Haj and routine flights were delayed for hours due to ill planning and mismanagement by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
PIA sources told Pakistan Today that the airline had to bear great embarrassment when a pilgrim, Abdul Rehman, passed away at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, while waiting for PIA’s delayed flight PK2010 that was scheduled to land at Karachi airport at 12pm. PIA Public Relations General Manager Sultan Hasan confirmed the death, saying Rehman was accompanied by his Moallam, who brought him to Jeddah airport where he breathed his last. He said the body of the deceased had been handed over to local authorities, who would contact the Pakistani embassy for its transfer, he added. Meanwhile, statistics reveal that not even a single return Haj flight could match its scheduled time during the last five days. Sources said PIA had so far operated 45 return Haj flights, of which most were delayed by over 10 hours. Around 11 aircraft have been grounded because of the non-availability of spare parts. Two Boeing 747s were grounded in Karachi, while two Airbus A310s and one AP BFT have been grounded due to various reasons. Similarly, five Boeing 737s were grounded in Islamabad. One AP BCD is grounded in Lahore after a bird-hit incident. The PIA spokesman categorically denied the fact about grounded aircraft, saying, “It has never happened in any single time that some six or seven aircraft get out of order.
Right now only three aircraft, including one Boeing 747 and two Boeing 737s, are grounded. However, they will join the operations in a day or two after getting certification from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).” To a query, he said extraordinary crowding at Jeddah airport was the root cause of the delay in PIA’s post-Haj operation, while an unavailability of aircrafts was the reason for domestic delays. Meanwhile, PIA flight PK-7441 carrying more than 400 pilgrims, including federal ministers and parliamentarians, reached Karachi after eight hours delay on Monday. The flight, which was scheduled to reach at 8pm on Sunday, landed at the Karachi Airport at 4am on Monday. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Shah,National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Kareem Kundi and several parliamentarians were among the passengers. Talking to reporters at the airport, Shah blamed Saudi authorities for 80 percent of delays in PIA Haj flights.