ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: As many as 23 international flights were delayed from August to mid-October due to inexperienced staff deployed at immigration counters in Islamabad airport, sources told Dawn.

The sources said the FIA authorities had removed expert staff from the immigration counters and recruited inexperienced and unskilled personnel, majority of them in violation of merit.

The sources said the "corrupt elements" took advantage and got boarded illegal passengers on international flights.

Meanwhile, the station manager of Pakistan International Airlines, in a letter to the FIA director, has stated that shortage of expert staff at the Islamabad airport had been creating difficulties for the passengers, besides causing delay in its international flights.

He also provided data to the FIA showing that 10 international flights were delayed in the month of August, seven in September and six in the first 13 days of October.

Citing an incident, he said: "On October 13, flight PK-785 departed one hour and 55 minutes behind schedule due to exceptionally slow processing of passengers by the immigration controls.

"The situation became so unpleasant and embarrassing that all the senior representatives of different airlines had to request the airport management to intervene and expedite the clearance of passengers of more than three airlines standing in queues for hours."

The station manager said during a meeting on August 17, the FIA had given an assurance that by September 1 the manpower shortage would be overcome after induction of trained staff. However, the situation instead of improving has worsened as the number of immigration counters had been reduced from 20 to seven and the commitment remained unfulfilled, he added.

The delay at immigration counters is also generating complaints as the passengers, especially senior citizens and ladies with children, have to wait in queues for hours.

He said the worst outcome of the delays was that passengers missed their connecting flights, which was a huge loss of their money as well as time. The delay also make a bad impression on the foreigners, he added.

The station manager urged the FIA director to resolve the issues, including staff shortage, slow data entry, slow computer response and congestion due to less space between counters, with the cooperation of Civil Aviation Authority.

He said swift tackling of the above issues would ensure smooth and speedy processing of passengers at the immigration counters and would help avoid flight delays and inconvenience to international passengers.