At least 14 flights were delayed and 6 more cancelled at Allama Iqbal airport here on Saturday due to technical and logistical problems.
The delays and cancellations are nothing new coming from the PIA, whose flights are cancelled and delayed daily, but the number of flights that were affected on Saturday was high even by PIA standards.
According to the flight inquiry desk at the airport, PIA flight 270 from Lahore to Delhi and flight 271 from Delhi to Lahore were both cancelled and passengers were left without directions as to what to do. Local flights including PK312 from Karachi to Lahore and PK315 from Lahore to Karachi were also cancelled after technical errors.
Adding to the woes of the passengers, Emirate Air’s flight 624 due from Dubai to Lahore was also delayed by 2 hours 50 minutes, while flight 625 from Lahore to Dubai took off after a 3 hour delay. PIA flight PK 757 from Lahore to London also took to the air 3 hours 30 minutes late.
Taban Air’s flight 7208 from Lahore to Mashad met a 3 and a half-hour delay, while Air Blue’s flight 477 from Medina to Lahore and flight 476 from Lahore to Medina were also delayed.
Qatar Air’s flight from Lahore to Doha was delayed by an hour and 45 minutes, while flight 620 from Doha to Lahore arrived after a two-hour delay. PIA flight 759 from Lahore to Jeddah was also delayed by an hour, while Shaheen Air’s flight to Riyadh was delayed by an hour 30 minutes. Turkish Airline flight 715 was 30 minutes late while PIA’s flight incoming from Tokyo was 90 minutes late.
The technical difficulties come at a time when people are beginning to question the safety of air travel in Pakistan.
The 20 affected flights further deteriorated the confidence that the public had in the country’s civil aviation authorities.
