Pakistan airline confirms 7 extra people carried on fully booked flight

Islamabad: Pakistan International Airlines confirmed on Monday that it had carried seven passengers more than the maximum on an international flight and had launched disciplinary measures against the crew.

A PIA spokesman denied a newspaper report that the extra passengers were forced to stand for the 3-hour flight from Karachi to Medina in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 20.

"It is not possible for anyone to travel like that in an aircraft, regardless of the duration of the flight," Danyal Gillani said but did not clarify how the passengers had spent the journey.

A pilot and two other crew members were being disciplined, he said.

"Strict action would be taken against anyone found at fault. PIA is committed to ensure the safety of the passengers and cannot allow any incident to happen which compromises safety," Gillani said.

PIA has been battling concerns about flight safety since a domestic flight crashed in the mountainous Chitral region in December, killing all 47 people on board.