PIA Asks Passengers to Reach Airports Early in Pakistan

[Abbas Ali]

Lahore, November 13, 2014: In order to maintain timely departures and arrivals of PIA flights and for the convenience of passengers, PIA requests its valued passengers to reach at least 2-4 hours early at airports in Pakistan before the flight departure time.

PIA valued passengers travelling on domestic and international flights are informed to reach airports in Pakistan at least four hours before the scheduled departure time for international flights and two hours before the scheduled departure time for domestic flights due to security checks at airports.

Airports in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta are witnessing long queues starting at entry points for vehicle checking, then scanning of luggage at terminals due to which the issuance of boarding cards gets delayed and at times confirmed passengers also miss their flights.

Furthermore, passengers are informed that the boarding gates close 10 minutes before flight departure time.

To maintain timely departures, PIA check-in counters close 45 minutes before departure time for international flights and 30 minutes before departure time for domestic flights. This information is also available on PIA website www.piac.aero.

Source: PIA Press Release (November 13, 2014)

[flyeconomy]

The real bottlenecks seem to be the primary luggage scanning areas from which everyone's luggage must pass through to get to the check-in area. If you have only 2 counters where this is done (Islamabad) then of course it will be a pain for everyone.

Pakistani airports are too small to handle large traffic. And they do not even have most airlines coming to Pakistan and still it's an issue.
Hopefully the airports can be expanded somehow by the management.

[rayyanullah]

With the high taxes and fees every passenger has to pay CAA should be held responsible for the shortage of screening machines and airlines together with immigration for unmanned counters.
Another noticeable thing is that :
a) If one travels on any of the gulf airlines check in is a whiz whilst at the PIA check in details of the passport etc are re-fed into their computers as though the initial feeding at the time of booking has been wiped clean.
b) The level of trust is so low that in Karachi after the initial immigration check all passengers are re-checked by immigration, the reason for this is best known to those doing the checking. This is in addition to the third passport check for those boarding a USA flight.
Rocket science is not required to increase the trust level together with provision of screening machines and manpower at all free counters.
Accountability is the name of the game.

[Vaqar Khan]

Accountability is the name of the game.

Accountability - or the lack of it is the source of the nation's ills.

[Abbas Ali]

Message in today's (November 28) newspaper.

Attention PIA Passengers

Please note reporting & check-in times

In order to avoid delays due to security measures and to ensure timely departures,

PIA Passengers, please report at least:

90 minutes before domestic flights
3 hours before international flights

PIA check-in counters at all airports will close:

30 minutes prior to scheduled departure for domestic flights
60 minutes prior to scheduled departure for international flights

Boarding will close 15 minutes before take-off.

For details and assistance, please call 111-786-786, or email at info@piac.aero


Urdu version.


English version.

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

Passenger reporting time according to PIA aircraft type in year 1981.

Boeing 747 - 100 minutes
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 - 100 minutes
Airbus A300 - 100 minutes
Boeing 707 - 90 minutes
Boeing 720B - 90 minutes
Fokker F27 - 50 minutes



Abbas