Passenger sues airline for flying him to Jeddah instead of Karachi

KARACHI: A passenger, who was supposed to travel from Lahore to Karachi but was mistakenly flown to Jeddah, has sent a legal notice to private airline, AirSial, accusing it of gross negligence and violation of consumer protection laws.

The passenger, identified as Malik Shahzain, booked on a domestic flight to Karachi July 8 but was instead transported to Saudi Arabia without the required travel documents.

According to Shahzain, he showed his boarding pass to the air steward, who guided him to his seat. He claimed he did not have a passport or a Saudi visa.

“Two hours into the flight, I asked the hostess when we would land in Karachi. That’s when the entire crew panicked and realised I was on the wrong flight,” the passenger said.

He served the airline a legal notice under the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2014, demanding a formal response and compensation for travel-related expenses.

He highlighted in the notice that the airline’s negligence not only caused him emotional turmoil but also forced him to bear additional travel costs for his return.

He wants the airline to be held accountable for what he terms a “serious lapse in duty.”

The Lahore airport manager had also blamed AirSial for the error, calling it sheer “negligence” and “irresponsibility.”

After the incident, the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) had taken notice of the incident and launched an inquiry.

AirSial has yet to issue an official response to the legal action. Its administration had clarified yesterday that the mix-up occurred due to an aircraft swap and ongoing construction at Lahore Airport, which led to both domestic and international flights operating from the domestic lounge after 10pm.

The airline stated that on July 8, flights to both Karachi and Jeddah were scheduled around the same time, and the passenger accidentally boarded the international flight meant for Jeddah instead of the Karachi-bound one.