PIA reschedules flights to India as load factor dips dramatically
21 Jan 2009
Karachi: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to reschedule some of its flights to India after registering a dramatic drop in passengers. It has not admitting to shedding services but merely advised potential passengers that services to India are liable to be rescheduled at short notice.
In a handout issued here the flag carrier has asked passengers traveling to Delhi and Mumbai from Karachi and Lahore to provide their contact numbers while booking seats so that information could be provided with regard to change of flight schedule, local newspapers have reported.
The handout said that traffic to and from Delhi and Mumbai had decreased substantially. "So some of the PIA flights for these sectors are being rescheduled as per the passenger load factor," it said.
Meanwhile, given the security environment in the country the flag carrier has now asked passengers for all domestic and international flights to reach airports in Pakistan at least half an hour before the standard check-in time. These are four and a half hours before departure time for international flights and two and a half hours for domestic flights.
Because of security checks airports in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta are witnessing long queues that commence at entry points for vehicle checking, followed by scanning of luggage at terminals. Issue of boarding cards is consequently getting delayed and at times confirmed passengers miss their flights.
PIA check-in counters close 45 minutes before departure time for international flights and 35 minutes before departure time for domestic flights.
