On Wednesday 13th June 2007 I had a reservation on PIA flight PK319 scheduled to depart from Islamabad at 22.30 for Karachi. I phoned PIA to check if the flight was leaving on time; on being informed that it was, I hurriedly checked out of the hotel to reach the airport by 21.30 hours.
Check-in was done and I am seated in the Waiting Area. At 22.00 hours an announcement was made that the flight was delayed for an hour due to bad weather.
The same announcement was made more or less every hour. Strange to note that only PIA was affected by the 'bad weather'; other local and international airlines [Air Blue & Thai for example] were able to take off and land.
As Business Class had not been available, I was in Economy Plus. It was one of the hottest days in Islamabad; the air conditioning and lights of the Waiting Area went off and, although the lights came back, air conditioning remained off for 3 hours. Adding to the agony and misery endured by passengers, especially those with children and connecting flights, were mosquitoes, flies and other insects. It was a long night of terror!
Through this entire ordeal not a single senior PIA official was present to communicate the correct problem; all we heard was the lady making the shameful announcement - and that from a safe distance.
No hotel or compensation was offered to us helpless passengers. We began to think that the inefficient personnel of PIA do not have the right to live off taxpayers' money and then torture them with misleading information.
Finally a new aeroplane arrived from Karachi and we left Islamabad at 03.00 hours on Thursday 14th, reaching Karachi at 05.00 hours and back home by 6 am!!! I strongly urge the President, Prime Minister and Members of the National Assembly of Pakistan to debate on whether we should have PIA or should it be closed down and the routes given to other local or international carriers.
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