• Source:JND
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In a major airline blunder, the passenger, who was to fly from Lahore to Karachi, was left stranded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, without a passport and visa. The incident has caused serious concerns over the boarding procedures of the concerned private Pakistani airline. Shahzain, the passenger, took the wrong flight from Lahore's domestic terminal even though he had a valid ticket to Karachi. In Shahzain's account, two aircraft were at the same gate, leading to confusion. "I then flashed my ticket to the air hostess but was never informed I had boarded the incorrect flight," he informed local media. It was merely two hours into the flight that Shahzain became aware that the plane had not yet landed in Karachi, causing alarm among the cabin crew.

No Passport, No Visa — Still Arrived in Saudi Arabia

Amazingly, Shahzain had neither a passport nor a visa for overseas travel. And yet, he managed to board an international flight from a domestic terminal. Once I landed at Jeddah, I asked the airline to fly me to Karachi without any delay. But they said it would take two to three days," he stated.

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The stranded passenger has issued a legal notice to the airline asking for compensation for extra travel cost and mental trauma for what he termed as "gross negligence as reported by ARY News. The Pakistan Airport Authority and the management of Lahore Airport have noted the incident and reported that an investigation has been confirmed.

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A Lahore Airport official termed the accident as "negligence and carelessness" by the airline. A formal complaint for action against the airline has been filed with the authorities. Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has allegedly initiated an investigation to find out how a local passenger without a travel document managed to board an international flight. Airport authorities have also vowed to enforce tough standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid such mishaps in the future.