ISLAMABAD - For the first time in history, PIA imposed heavy fine and arrest over smoking inside toilet onborad flight.
A British-Pakistani passenger, traveling on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, was briefly detained and then charged Rs. 10,000 fine for smoking during a flight.
As per details, a British-origin Pakistani Raza Ahsan boarded PIA’s PK 792 en route from Birmingham to Islamabad. ------------------------------
Ahsan, a chain-smoker, could not control the urge and went to the airplane’s lavatory to smoke a cigarette or two. He was caught when other passengers complained of the smoke coming out. The crew made him vacate the toilet immediately and later confiscated his passport. ------------------------------
Upon landing at the Islamabad International Airport, he was briefly detained by the Airport Security Force (ASF). The passenger received his passport back after he paid a fine of Rs. 10,000 for endangering the plane safety.
As per PIA officials, this is the first penalty for inflight smoking in the history of the airline. The official said that the act was against international aviation laws and could lead to any disastrous situation.