By our correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has faced another customer service issue, this time at Jeddah airport, where passengers on flight PK 832, arriving in Karachi, found their luggage missing. Many of the affected passengers were Umrah pilgrims who had to endure the inconvenience of arriving without their belongings.
The confusion was compounded by a two-hour flight delay, which led to further frustration among passengers. Upon arrival at Karachi airport, passengers were informed that their luggage had been left behind in Jeddah due to limited capacity on the aircraft. According to a PIA spokesperson, the airline had to leave approximately 81 pieces of luggage behind because of space constraints. However, the airline assured passengers that the luggage of around 40 affected passengers would be sent to Karachi on another flight soon.
Passengers have called for the Prime Minister and the Federal Minister of Interior to take notice of the airline’s handling of the situation, highlighting ongoing concerns about the airline’s operational efficiency. In the midst of such operational setbacks, PIA continues to face financial challenges. An overseas Pakistani group, Al Nahang, has made a formal proposal to acquire PIA for over Rs125 billion, which includes a commitment to settling the airline’s Rs250 billion debt.
The group’s offer includes assurances that no PIA employees will be laid off and promises a phased plan to double their salaries over 30 pay periods. The proposal also includes modernizing PIA’s fleet and developing it into a maintenance hub for other carriers. This proposal underscores ongoing efforts to revitalize the national carrier, which continues to struggle with both operational and financial issues.
