Passengers stranded in Iraq

The Pakistan embassy in Baghdad said at least 40 passengers set to travel home on an Etihad Airways flight were told to disembark at Basra International Airport after the flight was cancelled because of a desert storm.

The passengers including women, children and the elderly, as well as patients, were travelling from Basra to Abu Dhabi before continuing on to Lahore on Sunday.

The passengers were issued boarding passes and their luggage was loaded on to the plane. Initially they were informed that the flight would be delayed by two hours before it was later cancelled.

“The passengers were asked to go outside the airport and come tomorrow. The station manager at Basra airport, Mr Umer Saikran, informed Community Welfare Attache at embassy of Pakistan in Baghdad that Etihad will not provide them accommodation for the night stay,” said Amir Rehman, the Pakistani Mission in Baghadad’s community welfare attache.

He added that Mr Safaa Al Jassani, Etihad’s country manager, said that it is not the airline’s policy to provide overnight stay accommodation despite the flight being delayed more than 24 hours, and boarding passes have been issued to all the passengers.

“All international airlines provide hotel accommodation for its passengers in case the flight is cancelled or delayed. Hence we request that our 40 passengers should be duly compensated for the suffering caused by Etihad airline,” a statement from the Pakistan embassy said.