PA-2766 Flight Delayed Islamabad: Passengers Stage Runway Protest

ISLAMABAD – (Web Desk) – Passengers of PA-2766 flight delayed Islamabad were left stranded for hours at New Islamabad International Airport after AirBlue failed to fix a technical fault on their Madinah-bound aircraft.

The flight was scheduled to take off at 1:00 PM. After passengers boarded, the airline announced multiple delays due to a technical issue. No clear updates were given to travelers waiting inside the plane.

Passengers said they had arrived at the airport several hours before departure. They spent the entire day waiting with no firm answer from airline staff on when the flight would leave.

The situation got worse when the aircraft finally took off late at night but was forced to return to Islamabad shortly after due to another technical fault. That return flight broke the patience of many travelers.

Elderly pilgrims, women, children, and working professionals walked toward the runway area and staged a rare sit-in protest. They demanded immediate action from AirBlue management.

Travelers spoke of missed work commitments, expiring leave days, and the emotional toll of being kept in uncertainty for so many hours without any proper support from the airline.

After talks with protesters, AirBlue gave assurance that all affected passengers would be flown to Saudi Arabia on a priority basis at 10:00 AM the next morning. The sit-in ended after that assurance.

The airline arranged hotel accommodation and transport for stranded passengers overnight. They were shifted from the airport premises and asked to return the following morning for their rescheduled flight.

This was the first protest of this kind at New Islamabad International Airport involving a private airline operating on the Saudi Arabia route.