Standing room only at 10,000 feet
If there is one thing at which Pakistan’s international airline excels, it is “how not to do it”. Efficiency, courteousness, reliability and in-flight care all tend to be of such low standard that even the least-demanding passenger is left dismayed.
Even so, Pakistan International Airlines continues to explore new depths of absurdity. News has emerged that last month, a PIA Boeing 777 flight from Karachi to Medina in Saudi Arabia took off with more passengers than seats. Seven passengers had to travel standing in the aisle, after the flight was overbooked. The aircraft has a seating capacity of 409, but in all 416 passengers managed to cram on board.
The story gets even more bizarre. The extra passengers carried hand-written boarding passes. The senior purser, in charge of the cabin crew, claims that she informed the pilot about the situation but that he told her to “adjust”. The pilot maintains that he only found out the plane was overloaded after taking off. He added that he did not turn back to offload the extra passengers, as protocol requires, because that would have meant dumping a full tank of fuel – which was not in the airline’s interest.
The episode has raised eyebrows and temperatures across the airline industry. However, many Pakistanis just shrugged. This is, after all, the same airline that not too long ago allowed the sacrifice of a black goat at the steps to one of its aircraft, to “ward off evil spirits”. The overcrowding on Flight PK-743 last month has, though, prompted a flock of suggestions from Pakistani social media users. The airline should consider the merits of jettisoning meal carts in favour of stalls selling paan, tweeted one. Another suggested it could offer special discounts for passengers willing to travel without a seat. A picture of passengers sitting on a PIA jetliner’s roof is even doing the rounds, echoing the practice on overcrowded trains.
But behind the mockery lies a serious point. Passengers put their lives in the airline’s hands. If PIA is blissfully unconcerned about its responsibilities, as would appear to be the case, then Pakistani authorities must demand accountability. At stake is more than just the airline’s reputation.
