Passenger at Karachi Airport suffers negligence of airline
Just days after a passenger mix-up at Lahore
Airport, a similar incident has now taken place at Karachi’s Jinnah
International Airport, once again raising serious concerns over airline staff
negligence.
The mishap involved a passenger traveling with a
private Pakistani airline who was scheduled to fly from Karachi to Dubai. Due
to confusion and a lack of proper verification by a foreign airline’s staff,
the passenger, Arif Ali, was mistakenly issued a boarding pass for a Sharjah-bound
flight (Flight 547) operated by the foreign carrier.
How the
Error Unfolded
According to airport sources, Arif Ali
mistakenly approached the foreign airline’s counter instead of his original
airline. Without verifying his flight details or identity against the correct
passenger list, the foreign airline staff issued him a boarding
pass—coincidentally under the same name, “Arif Ali.”
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He successfully cleared immigration and
entered the departure lounge using this incorrect boarding pass. However, the
error was only discovered when the actual
Arif Ali—booked on the Sharjah flight—arrived and attempted to check in.
Realizing the mistake, airline staff canceled
the boarding pass of the Pakistani passenger and removed him from the departure
lounge. By the time the error was corrected, boarding for the correct
Dubai-bound flight (PA 110) operated by the private Pakistani
airline had already closed.
Despite the situation, the Pakistani airline
refused to accommodate Arif Ali, and the flight departed without him.
No
Compensation, No Accountability
Airport authorities reported that the affected
passenger is an illiterate laborer with limited means and was unable to afford
a new ticket. So far, no action has been taken by either
the Pakistan
Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) or the Pakistan Airports Authority
against the foreign or local airline involved.
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Officials from the Airports Authority
acknowledged that the incident stemmed from a name duplication error and the
foreign airline’s oversight, but no remedial steps were announced.
Source: MM News