In a rare and dramatic incident, passengers staged a sit-in protest directly on the runway side at Islamabad International Airport on June 24, 2026. This unusual event briefly disrupted airport operations and highlighted deep frustration with airline services.
The protest involved passengers of Airblue flight PA-2766, a Saudi-bound plane heading to Medina. The flight was scheduled to depart at 1:00 PM but faced repeated delays due to technical issues. After hours of waiting, the aircraft took off late at night only to return shortly after due to another technical fault. Upon safe landing, angry passengers, including elderly pilgrims, women, and children, disembarked and sat near the runway in protest.
Travelers complained about poor communication, long delays, uncertainty, and lack of proper support. Many feared missing important commitments in Saudi Arabia. Eyewitnesses described scenes of exhaustion as people demanded better handling from the airline.
Airport and airline officials intervened quickly. After negotiations, Airblue promised to accommodate all passengers on priority flights the next morning at 10:00 AM and arranged hotel stays for the night. The protesters then ended their sit-in, and normal operations resumed.
Authorities have launched an immediate inquiry into the incident. This event raises serious questions about service reliability, technical maintenance, and crisis management in Pakistan’s aviation sector.
