At least 118 passengers, including members of the Ministry of Commerce’s trade delegation, were stranded at Delhi airport because Pakistan International Airline (PIA) had cancelled its Delhi to Lahore flight, PK 271 without any intimation, Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday.
Sources in the national flag carrier revealed that PIA’s Boeing 737, which was scheduled to bring passengers from Delhi, suddenly “went out of order” at Quetta airport, but the airline did not intimate its staff deputed at Delhi airport.
Meanwhile, the members of the Pakistani trade delegation, including Federal Secretary Zafar Mahmood, and a number of other passengers passed through the immigration process when they knew that PIA’s aircraft was not coming to take passengers, sources said. They said Indian immigration authorities did not allow Pakistani passengers to leave the airport’s waiting lounge, which caused embracement to the Pakistani trade delegation and other passengers. However, the sources said the national flag carrier had decided to send another aircraft, with more seating capacity, for the Karachi to Delhi to Karachi flight on Thursday. On the other hand, the nation flag carrier had to offer hotel accommodation to Lahore-Delhi flight PK 270. Despite many attempts, the PIA spokesman was not available for comment.