KARACHI: A domestic passenger who intended to travel from Lahore to Karachi was mistakenly flown to Jeddah without a passport or visa, according to reports received on Monday.
Speaking to media, the passenger said that upon landing in Saudi Arabia, immigration authorities at Jeddah Airport briefly detained and questioned him before deporting him back to Lahore after clarifying the situation.
The passenger said: “It wasn’t my fault. The airline should now arrange for me to reach Karachi.” However, he alleged that the private airline is asking him to buy another ticket to Karachi.
The airline administration explained that the confusion was due to an aircraft swap and the ongoing construction work at Lahore Airport, which caused both domestic and international flights to operate from the domestic lounge after 10pm.
The airline confirmed that on July 8, both Karachi and Jeddah flights were scheduled around the same time, and the passenger mistakenly boarded the international flight instead of the domestic one.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) stated that senior officials have taken notice of the incident. A letter has been sent to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulator and the station manager, urging a heavy fine against the airline for negligence.
