LAHORE: The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation has warned the Pakistan International Airlines of suspending its Umrah flights to Jeddah if it fails to overcome delay.

The Saudi aviation has also warned the PIA that it would only allow one flight a day for Jeddah if it does not follow the flight operations schedule.

The ground handling company of Saudia (Ports Projects Management and Development Company) has pinpointed PIA’s scheduled Umrah flights delay and no prior coordination with the scheduling department.

The PPMDC also held a meeting with PIA officials to discuss the issue.

The PPMDC said: “PIA has operated four Umrah extra section flights without reservation and approved schedule and it has neither operated 14 approved Umrah flights nor they bothered to file any cancellation. Over and above PIA has operated 70 per cent of its flights delay of its schedule.”

It said PIA must depute extra manpower to handle delayed flight at Haj terminal. The PIA must file the delay at least eight to 10 hours prior to scheduled departure except any technical issue.

The Saudi aviation authority further said PIA was supposed to fulfill the following instructions. “Provide all PIA on duty supervisor with one mobile number. Provide PPMDC operation duty manager with the duty supervisor monthly roster and their telephone numbers. Inform PPMDC operation duty manager with any changes on schedule flights transferring Umrah passengers. PIA must ensure that it will not transport normal passengers on Umrah flight.”

PIA spokeman Mashhood Tajwar told Dawn that it had taken up the matter seriously and somehow it had overcome the problem. He said congestion at the Jeddah airport was also one of the reasons for flight delays.

He said the PIA faced this problem primarily due to shortage of the fleet. “In July two more planes will be added to the PIA fleet that will ease up the situation,” Mr Mashhood said.