LAHORE - Air Blue management could accommodate few passengers on other airlines after their flight was diverted back to Lahore airport by Dubai Aviation authorities on Friday.

Dubai Aviation authorities had refused an Air Blue flight to land at Dubai airport due to extraordinary rush there after a fire incident in a plane couple of days back.

A senior officer of CAA, seeking anonymity, said it was fault on the part of airline’s management because flight was diverted only due to poor coordination between Air Blue and Dubai Aviation authorities.

As many as 173 passengers were onboard in Dubai-bound Lahore flight. Pilot of the flight took the flight back to Lahore and landed back. The landing passengers, later, staged a protest demonstration at Lahore airport and demanded of the management to transport them back to Dubai as per their schedule. Air Blue management, however, accommodated only a few passengers on other airlines’ flights but majority of the passengers were yet to be transported to Dubai.

Despite repeated efforts, station manager Air Blue did not attend the cellphone. A message in this regard was also left on his cellphone but to no avail.

SMUGGLER’S FACILITATORS HELD

Customs authorities arrested two facilitators of a smuggler who was arrested on Friday red-handed during smuggling 170 mobile phones from China.

Passenger Nadeem Bhatti was arrested by Customs authorities on Friday when he was carrying 170 mobile phones concealed in a water bottle. On Saturday Customs authorities arrested Amir and Waqar allegedly involved in facilitating smuggler Nadeem. Both of the accused are employees of Shaheen Airport Services (SAPS).

Both the accused have confessed to their crime that they had also been facilitating many smugglers in the past. Customs officers established their involvement in smuggling through calls data of accused Nadeem and arrested them from airport.