Pakistani airlines face possible fines over Umrah flight delays

Pakistani airlines may face penalties from Saudi Arabian authorities over repeated delays in Umrah flights.

According to details, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has issued a stern letter to Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), emphasizing the importance of timely flight operations.

The letter stated that, under international regulations, on-time performance must be at least 80 percent.

However, the on-time rate of Pakistani airlines currently ranges between only 37 and 69 percent.

As per the letter, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) recorded 69 percent on-time flights, Airblue 65 percent, AirSial 46 percent, Fly Jinnah 43 percent, and Serene Air just 37 percent.

GACA has strictly instructed that this situation be rectified immediately; otherwise, heavy fines will be imposed. It further noted that the delays have caused severe difficulties for passengers.

Read more: Seven Pakistani Umrah pilgrims dead in Saudi Arabia road accident

The letter was written by the President of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and addressed to the Director General of Pakistan’s CAA.

It is worth mentioning here that this year, 1,673,230 pilgrims globally participated in the Hajj, with 1,506,576 international pilgrims arriving from 171 different countries.

According to Saudi Arabia records, 166,654 domestic pilgrims participated Hajj this year, creating one of the most balanced gender ratios in Hajj history, with 877,841 men and 795,389 women.