Mumbai: 120 passengers, mainly from the Bohra, Sindhi and Parsi communities, on Monday boarded PK275, an Airbus 320 flight that was Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) last Mumbai–Karachi flight. PIA’s Delhi–Karachi flight was also suspended from Monday. Now, only a much smaller ATR aircraft will operate between Lahore and Delhi.
PIA had flown this route continuously since 1976, except during the Kargil war. For people in both countries with cross-border familial ties, this suspension comes as a great disappointment.
Khrusheed Fadra, a resident of Bhendi Bazaar headed to Karachi to meet an ailing relative, said that he was surprised by PIA’s decision to close the service.
“A lot of my family have taken this flight because it is the most convenient, especially because obtaining a visa is not easy. I am to return on June 8 and will have to fly back via Dubai.” He complained that PIA seemed to tinker with schedules every year, particularly in summer, when border tensions flare.
Akbar Shah, at the airport to see off family members, recalled how PIA had offered the cheapest fare from Mumbai to Dubai with a layover in Karachi.
Airline with a heart
“They charged ₹5,500 from people who could not afford the fares,” he said. “Which airline would do this?” PIA’s cheapest tickets for the 95-minute flight are currently ₹28,000, with ₹45,000 for a business class seat.
Abdul Ahmed Shaikh, who had come in from Karachi was peeved. He seemed unaware that there were indirect ways to fly to Pakistan.
“This was the only way we could go across to meet our families. What are we expected to do without this service? The two governments should address this issue seriously. There are thousands who want to travel to meet their families here.”
“Common people suffer due to such decisions,” said Muhammad Ahmed Barakzai, PIA’s country manager. “There are Hindus in Pakistan who, too, have family members in India.”
There are 45 passengers booked for the now-cancelled May 11 flight, another 95 had booked on to the May 15 flight, with significant bookings up to the begining of Ramzan, on May 28, and beyond.
Official word on the suspension of the service suspension had not reached the airline staff in the city, who fear that they will lose their jobs if the Mumbai station eventually closes down. Mr. Barakzai hoped that services would resume soon.
“This is decision for the management to take. The PIA team in Mumbai is hoping for the best.”
Opportunity for India
Members of Ahmed Shaikh's family were livid that it was a decision taken by the Pakistan government. "India should use this as an opportunity to restart services of Air India to Karachi. When we can fly to the US, why not across the border where many of us have families to visit," a family member said.
Another feature of PIA flights to India was that its pilots did not have permissions to even alight from the aircraft.
"They were to be restricted to the aircraft. The flights to India would come with a set of flour, besides the pilots and cabin crew. These would be two flight engineers to resolve any technical glitches and two security personnel -- whose job was to frisk passengers on board," a PIA official said.
