A foodie pilot delayed a New York-bound Pakistan International Airlines' flight by two and a half hours because he wanted to take sandwiches, which were not part of the approved menu, aboard the plane, The Nation daily reported.
The staff told him that sandwiches could only be arranged by placing an order to a five-star hotel in the city, which would take more than two hours. PIA flight Pk-711, scheduled for New York via Manchester, was ready for departure Sunday from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore when the captain decided to delay the flight, the Nation reported.
According to the Nation, the catering department served the approved menu, including lunch, peanuts, chips and biscuits when Flight Captain Noushad requested them to serve him sandwiches instead. The catering staff expressed their inability to serve anything beyond the approved menu and also informed him of the sensitivity of the flight's departure time.
The captain remained adamant about his demand and said no matter how much time it would take, he needed sandwiches at any cost. The catering department contacted the PIA head office in Karachi and brought the matter to their notice, the Nation reported. Surprisingly, management directed the catering department to meet his demand. The flight departed after a delay of two and a half hours.
The PIA management has revised the menu on international and long-haul flights as a cost-saving campaign and sandwiches were replaced with peanuts, chips and biscuits. This service was started from Nov. 25.
A PIA officer said the menu was revised on the recommendations of a committee, formed in the recent past, comprising pilots as its member as well, according to the Nation.
When contacted, PIA spokesman Mashhood Tajwar said the management had taken a serious notice of the delay of an international flight. He said investigation had been ordered and action would be taken against those responsible for it.
