Manchester Airport passenger experience as flight to Pakistan delayed

The passenger had arrived at the airport at 3pm on New Year’s Day to board a PIA flight to Islamabad. But it didn’t jet off to Pakistan until nearly 8pm the next day.

Having got on to the plane at 6pm on Thursday, he said passengers were told to disembark a few hours later due to ‘technical’ issues.

Passengers then had to wait at the terminal before being told to ‘go home’ after midnight. Police were called after video footage from the terminal showed passengers and Pakistan International Airlines staff in talks.

One man can be remonstrating saying, “We are not going anywhere, call the police.”

Another can be heard saying: “Where do you want us to go?” whilst in other footage a passenger shouts, ‘You are f****** s***’.

Tempers begin to flare as voices are raised, with staff at one point being ushered away.

People were eventually provided a hotel after remonstrating with airline staff, arriving at the hotel after 2.30am.

One passenger who did not wish to be named said: “Passengers were rightly annoyed at the way they were being treated. There was a delay and we sat on the plane for two hours and were then told the flight was cancelled and go home.

“Initially, nothing was offered to passengers. Eventually after a number of conversations with the PIA manager, they offered a hotel.

“However, many did not get a hotel.

“Many were turned away at the first hotel and eventually they were referred to another hotel.

“The whole thing was a debacle.

“Passengers spent virtually a whole day being messed about.”

The man who was heading to a wedding in Pakistan said the evening turned into ‘chaos’ as nobody knew what was going on.

“I thought the police came in heavy-handed at first.

“They told everyone to be quiet and then told everyone they had to leave the airport.

“That’s when we told them we will not be leaving the airport. We said we needed to be provided hotel rooms.

“I think once they realised our predicament, they calmed down.”

Passengers were eventually back at the airport at 9.30am and then had to wait for another 10 hours before the plane left Manchester just before 8pm on Friday night.

The passenger said: “It was so badly handled. It was just a very long wait, and we expect better service than this.”

In the autumn, Manchester Airport and Pakistan International Airlines announced a new twice-weekly service to Islamabad.

Manchester is the only airport in the north with a direct connection to Pakistan.

Annually 362,000 people from the region travel to the Pakistani capital, which makes it the most in-demand destination not served by Manchester Airport.

Pakistan International Airlines were approached for comment

Manchester Airport were apraoched for comment.