22 passengers get off Chitral-bound PIA flight over 'luggage issues'

PIA spokesperson says 17 passengers completed the trip, that baggage would have been a safety hazard

RAWALPINDI: Twenty-two passengers aboard a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Chitral refused to travel after they were not allowed to take their luggage along owing to space restraints.

The flight, PK-660, was set to take off from the New Islamabad Airport, however, passengers were informed that their luggage could not be taken along.

The national flag carrier's staff said that the baggage would be taken to Chitral on a later flight.

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To this, the 22 passengers protested and left the plane with only 17 others having completed the trip.

"You see, we have space constraints on these small planes as the flight operations inform us on how much weight should be taken for take-off depending on the temperature," PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar told The Express Tribune.

the cabin crew had assured the passengers that the remaining luggage would be brought to their destination from another flight, he added.

"We take these steps as our first priority is the safety of our passengers," Tajwar said.