Team ProperGaanda took to Instagram today to ask our audience what issues they’ve faced while travelling in Pakistani airports. Today, we’re going to talk about some of the most common problems seemingly everyone is facing at our national airports.
From Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport to Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, most people who have travelled via Pakistani airports can agree that the process is far from pleasant. We took to Instagram to ask our audience what kinds of issues they’ve faced at various airports across the country.
One user commented “People not following instructions e.g. cutting queues or men standing in women’s queue. Management needs to be more strict”. We couldn’t agree more! Although this seems to be a nation-wide problem regardless of where you go, it is especially prevalent in our country’s airports. People cutting lines, standing in lines they aren’t meant to be in and even going as far as to push and shove to get ahead of the queue is commonplace in a Pakistani airport. Maybe it’s the desperation to leave a poorly air conditioned, cramped space after a long haul flight, but it’s infuriating nonetheless as it is guaranteed to make the queuing process longer for everyone.
Another popular answer was “Late luggage arrival”, another very valid point for our airports. Although airports across the globe face luggage delays at times, it seems inevitable that if you’re receiving your luggage from a Pakistani airport, you should prepare yourself for a long and excruciating wait. Whether this is a case of mismanagement or just sheer laziness from the airport staff, there’s no doubt about the fact that if you’re calculating what time you’ll be leaving the airport, you should probably add in some extra time for your late luggage.
A personal favourite response of mine is “Slow Wi-Fi”. I’m certain I’m not alone in helplessly watching my phone attempt to connect to wi-fi signals at our airports, or worse connect to wi-fi but have my hopes shattered when it still doesn’t work. Nothing is worse than leaving a long flight, tired and hungry yet unable to seek any relief via any of the various social media apps I’m addicted to.
An interesting difference in opinion we found in the comments was “To be honest, I’ve never had issues with either the management or the workers. Reason could be my Canadian passport”. It might be true that having a foreign passport could get you ahead in certain queues but I wonder whether there really is a significant difference in your overall airport experience if you sneakily flash your blue or red passport around?
Although this isn’t strictly an issue with Pakistan airports, a special mention needs to be given to all the comments detailing their vast problems with PIA. It truly is a feat when an airline experience is so bad, it spills into and taints your overall airport experience.
Perhaps the best comment, and most apt way to sum up most people’s experiences at our beloved national airports is from naveentheblog; I can practically hear the exasperation in her voice when she writes, “Where do I begin!”
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