Malik Shahzain, the Karachi-bound passenger who was mistakenly flown to Jeddah, has now issued a legal notice to AirSial, holding the airline accountable for its negligence.

The notice, which was filed under the Sindh Consumer Protection Act of 2014, demands an explanation and reimbursement for additional travel expenses. 

Shahzain claimed that the airline’s negligence caused him significant distress, as he had to pay extra travel expenses to return to Lahore after being questioned by Saudi immigration authorities for not having the necessary documents.

Shahzain, who had been in Lahore for about a month managing factory-related matters, scheduled an AirSial trip from Lahore to Karachi on July 7. At 9:45 PM, he was scheduled to board flight PF146.

Upon reaching the airport and collecting his boarding pass, he unknowingly boarded an international flight to Jeddah, which was carrying pilgrims for the Umrah.

“Two hours later, I began to wonder why the plane wasn’t landing. That’s when I found out I had boarded the wrong flight,” he said.

Upon arrival in Jeddah, he was still inside the plane when a team informed him that the airplane would take him back to Lahore.

He eventually returned and boarded flight PF144 to Karachi on July 8 at 3:45 AM.

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) issued letters to the station manager and the civil aviation regulator after taking notice of the incident.

According to PAA spokesman Saifullah, "the civil aviation regulator has been requested in the letter to impose a heavy fine on the airline that is guilty of negligence." 

The statement did not, however, clarify how the passenger was able to clear immigration at Lahore airport before boarding the Jeddah-bound flight.