Lahore: In another embarrassment to Pakistan’s national carrier, UAE authorities have slapped a fine of 5,000 dirhams on PIA for a major security breach when it allowed a woman passenger to travel to Dubai on her son’s British passport.
“Perhaps this is most embarrassing incident in the (Pakistan International Airlines) PIA’s recent history and it could not have taken place by mistake,” a senior PIA official said.
PIA Lahore spokesman Athar Awan told PTI that the immigration and PIA officials at the Lahore airport allowed Afshan Siddiqui to board a PIA flight for Dubai on the passport of her son on December 16. “She had the British passport of her son and the officials might have overlooked the gender difference seeing the British passport,” he said.
When she reached Dubai, the immigration authorities detained her and asked how she managed to travel on her son’s passport, terming it a “most unusual case”. Siddiqui said she mistakenly carried the passport of her son and did not notice it and nor the immigration and PIA officials pointed it out to her.
The Dubai immigration authorities sent her back home on next flight on December 17 and slapped a fine of 5,000 dirham on the PIA. “The PIA has launched an inquiry into the incident to find out those responsible for this gross negligence,” the spokesman said. Another official said that stern action would be taken against those found guilty and the fine of 5,000 dirham would also be recovered from them. Earlier this month, a PIA pilot allowed cricketer-turned -politician Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham to sit in the cockpit for a “few minutes” on her request during a London to Lahore flight, prompting a probe. Earlier, the PIA has sacked about 10 crew members including air hostesses on the charges of smuggling expensive mobile phones and cigarettes. (PTI)
