A passenger was unable to board an Airblue Flight from Karachi to Jeddah after his passport was accidentally torn by the airline’s ticketing staff.
The passenger, identified as Qudratullah, was scheduled to travel on Airblue Flight PA-170. During the ticket confirmation process at Jinnah International Airport, his passport was damaged, preventing him from traveling.
Officials confirmed that international travel is not allowed with a torn or damaged passport. Despite the airline staff’s error, Airblue Flight PA-170 departed for Jeddah without the passenger.
Qudratullah, who was traveling with a group to Saudi Arabia for employment, protested at the ticketing counter. He said the torn passport caused him financial losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of rupees. Airport sources said the airline refunded his ticket amount after the incident.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) confirmed that passengers cannot travel internationally on damaged passports. Qudratullah will now need to apply for a new passport before he can reschedule his trip to Saudi Arabia.
This incident has raised concerns over the handling of passengers’ travel documents by airline staff. Experts emphasized that careful management of passports and other travel documents is crucial to avoid disruptions and financial loss.
Airblue and airport authorities are expected to review their procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Passengers are advised to verify the condition of their documents before traveling and report any issues immediately.
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The incident highlights the importance of proper staff training and attention at airline ticket counters, especially for international travel. Authorities said measures will be taken to ensure better document handling for all travelers.
