Tickets' fraud causing Rs6.2 mn losses to PIA unearthed

SIALKOT: A security and vigilance team of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Monday busted a gang within the airline, selling low price tickets through forgery to travelers, causing losses of Rs 6.2 million, ARY NEWS reported.

According to the PIA spokesman, a PIA vigilance team carried out a raid at the sales office of national flag carrier in Sialkot and found that tickets on low prices were provided to the travelers for special flights.

The team cancelled all booked tickets as the airline announced to take strict action against anyone found in the act. An investigation against the district manager of the airline in Sialkot was also launched.

Sharing the modus operandi, the spokesman said that the PIA raised fares of its tickets for special flights during COVID-19 pandemic and had cancelled all tickets booked before lockdown.

The employees of the national flag carrier, received bribes from the travelers to provide them tickets on old rates, set before the COVID-19 pandemic. The tickets were provided to the passengers traveling from Sialkot to Milan, Barcelona and other foreign destinations.

According to sources, 48 passengers were provided tickets pasted with bar codes of cancelled PIA tickets recently.

They further said that many passengers had already travelled abroad using this process. A similar fraud was unearthed days back at the regional office of the PIA in Lahore.