A flight from Lahore to Jeddah was abruptly cancelled on Sunday after a delay of more than three hours, triggering protest by over 250 passengers, including many Umrah pilgrims.
Flight ER-821 was scheduled to depart from Lahore at 8:10am. According to passengers, boarding passes had been issued and they were moved to the departure lounge when the airline announced a one-hour delay.
However, despite the wait, the airline cancelled the flight without offering any explanation at the time, leaving dozens of passengers — many dressed in ihram — stranded at the airport.
The unexpected cancellation sparked outrage among the passengers, some of whom got into heated arguments with the airline staff. Several passengers staged a sit-in at the terminal, demanding immediate arrangements for their departure to Jeddah.
“The airline kept assuring us that the flight would take off after a short delay, but then they cancelled it all of a sudden,” said a frustrated passenger, adding that no alternative arrangements or refunds were offered on the spot.
Visuals from the terminal showed visibly distressed pilgrims sitting on the floor with their luggage, chanting slogans against the airline management.
Later, a spokesperson for said the aircraft had developed a technical fault in Karachi, due to which it could not take off for Jeddah as originally scheduled. “The plane in question was to be used for the Jeddah flight. The fault is being fixed,” the spokesperson said.
The airline added that in case an alternative aircraft was not made available, passengers would be provided hotel accommodations and other necessary facilities.
No revised departure schedule was announced till the filing of this report.
