Drop in passengers to India forces PIA to reschedule flights

Karachi, Jan 21 (ANI): The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has said that some of its flights to India have been rescheduled after a drop in the number of passengers.

Without revealing that its flights had been cut, PIA said in a handout issued here that passengers to and from Delhi and Mumbai had substantially decreased. "So some of the PIA flights for these sectors are being rescheduled as per the passenger load factor," it said.

It asked PIA 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, The News reported.

Meanwhile, the national flag carrier has asked passengers for all domestic and international flights to reach airports in Pakistan at least half an hour before the standard check-in time that is four and a half hours for international flights and two and a half hours for domestic flights before the departure time due to security checks.

Airports in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta are witnessing long queues starting right at entry points for vehicle checking, then scanning of luggage at terminals due to which the issue of boarding cards gets delayed and at times confirmed passengers miss their flights.

To maintain timely departures, PIA check-in counters close 45 minutes before departure time for international flights and 35 minutes before departure time for domestic flights. (ANI)