PIA not permitted Lahore-NY non-stop flight

[SENIOR]

I think umar744 you will have to wait with the rest of us on this non-stop PAK-JFK issue which is as head office put it -
'a technical stop over at MAN until further notice'.
As soon as we have any news we shall advise accordingly.
I think there's a few people at PIA head office who are quite about this subject and alot pax annoyed with their advanced bookings who will probably miss connections ex JFK

[ord]

Alright, If the YANKEES have a problem with PIA flying into USA.

What is there problems with flying from USA to Pakistan. PIA can and should be able to fly from JFK or ORD(whatever) to Pakistani destinations.

Comes on YANKs stop your paranoya for you own christ sake

Adnan,

Have you been to a Pakistani airport recently. I mean it is obvious that certain influencial people are allowed to board the flight, without going through a metal detector. This is a HUGE SECURITY LAPSE.


*********************************

Certain members may recall the event in KHI last August, when the Law Minister of the Land of the Pure beat up a security personell at KHI airport, after the personel had requested the minister to go through the metal detector/x-ray system.

In my opinion, this and other incidents cast serious doubt on the security arrangements at PAK airports and are a hazard to the flying public!

[sadiqhassan]

Alright, If the YANKEES have a problem with PIA flying into USA.

What is there problems with flying from USA to Pakistan. PIA can and should be able to fly from JFK or ORD(whatever) to Pakistani destinations.

Comes on YANKs stop your paranoya for you own christ sake

Adnan,

Have you been to a Pakistani airport recently. I mean it is obvious that certain influencial people are allowed to board the flight, without going through a metal detector. This is a HUGE SECURITY LAPSE.


*********************************

Certain members may recall the event in KHI last August, when the Law Minister of the Land of the Pure beat up a security personell at KHI airport, after the personel had requested the minister to go through the metal detector/x-ray system.

In my opinion, this and other incidents cast serious doubt on the security arrangements at PAK airports and are a hazard to the flying public!

I agree completely. In Karachi especially, there are 2 extremes.

1) if you are travelling without an "escort" (some sort of security person) you are checked like a hawk. Even your camera batteries are taken away

2) if you have an escort, you can basically just skip security for no reason

Cheers

[ord]

The only way around this is to have U.S security agents deployed at Airports in Pak, but with a mid-term election looming in the U.S, can you imagine the political backlash for Bush & co........the controversy over D.P ports is still hanging around over at Capitol hill, So for the forceable future i cannot envisage PIA flying directly to the U.S

Actually, that would not be a problem for Bush. U.S. Customs/Border Patrol already inspects U.S. bound cargo at Karachi and Qasim ports. They have similar arrangements with quite a few countries. Similar thing could be worked out at aiports, for flights destined for the U.S.

However a far better move would be for the state of Pakistan to reform itself in general and the law enforcement agencies (sic!) in particular, so that all people are given the same security treatment, regardless of their status in society, at the airports and all other locations.

At some point in time, the state must remove this system of privelages if it is to change in to modern society, where there is a respect for the rule of law and all citizens are treated as equals. And the sooner the better.....let this be a wakeup call for our ruling class.

[Adnan Anwar]

Alright, If the YANKEES have a problem with PIA flying into USA.

What is there problems with flying from USA to Pakistan. PIA can and should be able to fly from JFK or ORD(whatever) to Pakistani destinations.

Comes on YANKs stop your paranoya for you own christ sake

Adnan,

Have you been to a Pakistani airport recently. I mean it is obvious that certain influencial people are allowed to board the flight, without going through a metal detector. This is a HUGE SECURITY LAPSE.


*********************************

Certain members may recall the event in KHI last August, when the Law Minister of the Land of the Pure beat up a security personell at KHI airport, after the personel had requested the minister to go through the metal detector/x-ray system.

In my opinion, this and other incidents cast serious doubt on the security arrangements at PAK airports and are a hazard to the flying public!

Yeah Right, Pakistani's ministers are public hazards to american's safety but a red neck is not.

Have you guys been to American airports ever.

Senators and Congressman do not pass through the same security as normal people in USA. God knows why they are not checked?

I am not making it up, this is true. VIP's are the same everywhere you go.

[behramjee]

Have you guys been to American airports ever.

Senators and Congressman do not pass through the same security as normal people in USA. God knows why they are not checked?

I am not making it up, this is true. VIP's are the same everywhere you go.

Hi Adnan,

Your comment concerning U.S. Senators, Congressman and worldwide Politicians is correct but your last sentence concerning VIPs I dont totally agree with.

The point that we are making here is that in PAK if you take someone's name at the airport or make pre-arrangements via a phone call or dress decently, the Airport Customs officials dont check your suitcases to see its contents. My dad and I are prime examples of this. He wore a suit but I wore casual jeans with a golf/polo shirt...they let him go but opened my suitcases. This happens nearly always as I refuse to dress formally for a flight when its so hot in Pakistan.

Appearance matters a lot to these customs officials + they rarely harass ladies or girls by making them open their suitcases.

What the U.S. wants is basically every TOM, DICK & HARRY to be checked regardless of their gender, appearance or influence. Can you blame them? Not really because in many suitcases especially students/adults bring pirated dvds-cds, lots of cigarrate cartons (when theyre only allowed 1-2 and then dont declare it at U.S./Canadian customs).

Yes the above mentioned things Americans and Westerners do too and Im not denying that fact...but unfortunately it happens more with the Pakistanis which is evident by reading other ppl's posts above.

[smarties]

Karachi airport security is way to terrible. A couple of years back my sisters friend came to the departure lounge just b4 boarding to meet her. It's just shocking that something like this can happen. If you know someone it's its all pre-arranged by a single telephone call.

I think PIA made a mistake buying these planes (77L), they should have made 100% sure that they would be able to fly non-stop to and from USA, then made a desicion. Maybe they should have ordered 2 773ERs or 2 777ER instead and routed US flights via GVA with freedom rights on the JFK and YYZ flights from GVA. Or maybe should have got the 77L in 2008 and waited for permission.

[smarties]

For people from one of the specified countries, this transit visa is required even of people who are not leaving the airport, but who are merely changing planes within the international flights area of the same airport. If you are changing airports (e.g. Arriving at Heathrow and Leaving from Gatwick on your way to your final destination) then you will need a different kind of visa.

The basic list of countries for whom this new requirement applies includes: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Rep.of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Haïti, India, Iraq, Iran, Liberia, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, and Palestine.
However, the list is not consistent across the European Union. For example, travelers passing through the United Kingdom who are Indian DO NOT need a transit visa, but if they are traveling through France THEY WILL NEED a visa. On the other hand, if someone from the People's Republic of China is passing through the U.K. THEY WILL NEED a transit visa, but if they travel through

[Junaid]

PIA website is displaying the Manchester stop for JFK flights until April 30. Flights go non-stop after April 30 but you never know about PIA.

[Adnan Anwar]

Hi Adnan,
Your comment concerning U.S. Senators, Congressman and worldwide Politicians is correct but your last sentence concerning VIPs I dont totally agree with.

The point that we are making here is that in PAK if you take someone's name at the airport or make pre-arrangements via a phone call or dress decently, the Airport Customs officials dont check your suitcases to see its contents. My dad and I are prime examples of this. He wore a suit but I wore casual jeans with a golf/polo shirt...they let him go but opened my suitcases. This happens nearly always as I refuse to dress formally for a flight when its so hot in Pakistan.

Appearance matters a lot to these customs officials + they rarely harass ladies or girls by making them open their suitcases.

What the U.S. wants is basically every TOM, DICK & HARRY to be checked regardless of their gender, appearance or influence. Can you blame them? Not really because in many suitcases especially students/adults bring pirated dvds-cds, lots of cigarrate cartons (when theyre only allowed 1-2 and then dont declare it at U.S./Canadian customs).

Yes the above mentioned things Americans and Westerners do too and Im not denying that fact...but unfortunately it happens more with the Pakistanis which is evident by reading other ppl's posts above.

Well my point was to ask how many times a plane has been highjacked in Pakistan becasue of security lapses in VIP lounges.

Pakistani airports since the PAN AM highjacking have been providing excellent security compared any US airport.

It is not Pakistani airports fault that 911 highjackers highjacked a plane becasue of US relaxed security. Now rest of the world has to suffer for the USA's own mistake.

Why are the american protray as if they do not have melicious intentions but rest of the world poplulation does.

It is not worlds fault, if American govt has put American brains to sleep and American people do not and do not pay attention to what the US government does outside of its own borders. Not forgetting their blind support of certain regimes and countries puts every Amrican at risk.

If the American want to feel secure, they need to look at their own country first and will find so many disgruntled AMerican who are waiting for an opportunity to hit their own country.