PIA recovers Rs5.06 million from over 20 Lahore airport employees implicated in seat allocation fraud

Pakistan International Airlines has recovered Rs5.06 million from more than 20 Lahore airport employees over alleged irregularities in premium-seat charges, Profit by Pakistan Today reported. Audit records cited in the report indicate staff collected extra payments for premium, extra-legroom and bulkhead seats but did not transfer the money to the airline.

The Lahore Finance and Audit Committee found the issue while reviewing records from May 2024 and 2025. The employees allegedly changed bookings after passengers boarded or flights departed, while the report says salary deductions recovered Rs5,060,269; the staff reportedly remain in their jobs and disciplinary action was halted after senior officials intervened. Separately, the Airports Security Force cancelled a PIA employee’s airport pass over an allegation of unauthorised passenger protocol on May 9, 2026.