'Broken seats, duct-taped overhead bins': Man exposes grim realities of Pakistan International Airlines

Pakistan International Airlines is a state-run airline. (Representational)

A passenger’s harrowing experience aboard state-owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has sparked fresh debate over the carrier's deteriorating standards. Documenting his journey on one of PIA’s domestic flights, the passenger shared a video on Instagram, where he detailed the subpar conditions on the aircraft and questioned the safety of the airline, already under a cloud of international scrutiny.

The video begins with the passenger, Ali Khan, boarding the flight, only to be immediately warned by the cabin crew that video recording is strictly prohibited—a restriction that, in hindsight, seemed almost necessary given what was about to be revealed.

The video shows the passenger taking his seat, where he discovers a broken seat handle, an overhead bin held together by duct tape, and dusty, unkempt areas where other passengers should have been seated.

In his caption, the passenger posed a pointed question to his followers: “Would you fly on this route? Pakistan has a troubled reputation in the world. It doesn’t help when your national carrier is also banned from an entire continent. But I decided to go on a PIA flight for the first time in over a decade to go the Northern Areas of Pakistan,” he wrote.

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A post shared by Ali Khan | Muslim Traveler (@alinadeemkhn)

Since the 1950s, PIA has served as Pakistan’s state-owned flag carrier. However, the airline has been plagued by a series of fatal crashes, including three in the 21st century alone. In 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) banned PIA from flying to Europe and the UK, citing severe safety concerns and the airline's failure to comply with international aviation regulations.

Despite concerns, the passenger had chosen to fly to the northern areas of Pakistan—a journey he hadn’t undertaken in over a decade and one that had been on his bucket list. He expressed initial excitement, but this soon gave way to dismay as the reality of the flight set in.

The video has since gone viral, raising questions about PIA's commitment to safety and the continued use of aging aircraft in its fleet. Commenters also joined in the discussion.

“PIA= Pray I Arrive,” one user joked. “I take it back Air India! You guys are good,” wrote another.

A third said: “Why would anyone willingly fly this airline? Ridiculous.” A fourth wrote: “Watching this clip and hearing what you said about the Airlines gave me heart palpitations. But no doubt about the beauty you witnessed and God bless you for the risk you took to see it.”