Female passenger blames airline officials for demanding bribe | Airline spokesperson says passenger failed to meet all formalities to carry pets to KSA.
Says will sue the passenger in court for leveling false allegations.
RAHIM YAR KHAN - A Pakistani expat and her son were offloaded from a Jeddah-bound flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) despite ‘having all required documents’ of their pet feline on Friday night.
Humaira Shahid, a resident of Ravi Town told reporters that she was going back to Jeddah from Multan through PK-739 flight with her son and their boarding passes were also issued by the PIA officials. She said that when they were going to depart the lounge, two PIA officials stopped them and demanded documents of her brown and white Persian Himalyian male cat feline ‘Oreo’. She showed all the relevant documents but the officials Asghar and Ibrar allegedly initially demanded Rs 200,000 and later Rs 100,000 to give permission her pet to travel. Despite showing all the documents of pet including passport, Althaqafi Veterinary Clinic KSA, vaccination, rabbies Test Report of University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, Ministry of National Food, Security and Research Animal Quarantine Department (Animal Health Certificate), she was stopped from travel with her pet.
When contacted PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said that the allegation of demanding Rs200,000 was false and the passengers wanted to blackmail the airline. He further told that General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) KSA released a notification for airlines from January 8, 2023 that it was necessary to submit import/export applications for animals through the new electronic link (https;//naama.sa. The passengers haven’t fulfilled this requirement due to which they were denied permission to travel with their pet.
However, Khan said that airline will sue the pet owner passenger for false allegations leveled against the national flag carrier.
