RAHIM YAR KHAN: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying Haj pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia landed at the Shaikh Zayed International Airport here on Saturday, but without their luggage.

More than 300 pilgrims, returning after performing Haj, landed at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, early on Saturday morning by PK-382 from Madina on Boeing 777.

From Karachi, 156 pilgrims arrived here on Airbus A-320, while others returned to Faisalabad.

A source in the PIA said the luggage of the returning pilgrims could not be loaded onto PK-382 from Madina due to mismanagement, but they were not informed of the glitch.

When the pilgrims went to the luggage belt at the local airport, they were informed that they would get only Zam Zam water bottles, which were transported here two days back.

Shocked to know about their missing luggage, a large number of the pilgrims filed complaints with the local PIA staff.

The source also disclosed that the PIA administration is planning to close the Sheikh Zayed International Airport, RYK, because only two flights for Karachi were being operated from here in a week.

PIA Station Manager Kaleem Mazari told Dawn that the pilgrims’ luggage has reached Karachi by another flight from Madina and would be delivered to the owners within couple of days by road.

Two more flights carrying the pilgrims will arrive here on July 18 and July 22, he says.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2023