First PIA Hajj flight landed late by three hours

The first Hajj flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) landed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) Islamabad after three hours delay, which caused problems for the relatives of the pilgrims who were impatiently waiting for their arrival.
The Hajj flight PK-3762 carrying 464 pilgrims was scheduled to land at BBIA at 12:15am, but due to the three-hour delay, it arrived on Monday at 3:10 am. A huge number of relatives of pilgrims were also present at the airport to receive the pilgrims who had to stay out in cold due to delay in arrival of the flight. The angry relatives of pilgrims protested against the PIA. Many relatives had arguments with PIA staff and Airport Security Force officials.
The pilgrims when arrived revealed to reporters that they had to face a lot of problems during their stay due to poor administrative set up. No government or PIA official was present at the airport to receive the first flight of Hajj pilgrims. Meanwhile, a handout of the PIA revealed that the cause of delay in arrival of flight at BBIA was due to congestion at Jeddah Airport and strict security measures by Jeddah Civil Aviation Authority.
The arrival delays will continue for the next couple of days till early allotment of bays by Jeddah CAA and reduction in passengers' congestion of various countries at Jeddah airport. At a time around 60,000 pilgrims of different countries are present at Jeddah Airport for their respective flights of various airlines.
The Hajj pilgrims of the first post Hajj flight PK 3762 to Islamabad was welcomed and received by General Manager North PIA, Captain Qasim Hayat, Chief Financial Officer PIA, Faisal Malik, District Manager PIA Rawalpindi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Station Manager, Islamabad Airport, Asad Hameed Beg and senior officials of the airline and other airport agencies of BBIA.
PIA will operate 255 hajj flights from Saudi Arabia bringing back 102,991 Hajjis to Pakistan. PIA will bring back 19,807 Hajjis to Karachi through 45 hajj flights, 22,921 to Islamabad through 50 hajj flights, 21,937 through 50 flights to Lahore, 18,770 through 58 flights to Peshawar 10,736 intending hajj pilgrims through 33 flights to Quetta, 4,159 through 09 flights to Sialkot and 4,661 hajjis through 10 flights to Multan. The post Hajj operation of bringing back the Hajjis will conclude on December 21, 2010.