Daily Times

Hi I’d like to share this very personal experience when I was travelling this week from Guangzhou to Lahore via Shaheen Air International. The flight got delayed by 17 hours. First it was delayed due to bad weather issues at the Guangzhou and then due to emergency landing clearance at the Hong Kong International Airport. When this all was happening, at the back end in the waiting area the scenario was completely different.

While I was sitting with the airline crew, pilot and co pilot – which was a new thing for me as crew and pilot were sitting with passengers – almost a dozen men came there and started shouting at the crew, which obviously I could understand that the reason was DELAY. But then they started doing things which could turn them into social media sensation. They started recording videos and clicked a lot of pictures of those poor air hostesses who were hiding their faces. In reality they didn’t even know how to turn on the Wi-Fi, which I did for them. They were too innocent to understand anything. They had no news about the flight.

When the men got out of control I asked people sitting next to me to help the poor souls as the pilot and co-pilot were trying hard to cool things up, but to no avail. The people around me replied “let it go, badtameez loug hain, choro” to which I stood up against these uneducated people who were not trying to understand the reason and instead of being helpful, were creating a mess. And when I raged they all went away saying sorry. They were utterly stupid and cheap. Shouting at the pilot and ladies, how sickening!

But most importantly what I’d like to mention here is not my bravery that I stood up against the wrong doers, but the fact that the crew and pilots were absolutely amazing. According to the international aviation law, a pilot should be on duty for eight hours only but the captain, Imran Ameen, though he was off duty, was so gracious and responsible to fly. The crew members Naima, Kubra, Julina and others were great people too.

What I was shocked to see was the fact that there was no specific lounge or portion given to the crew and pilot for rest and relaxation which is absolutely disgusting and devastating. The pilot without any rest was seated on that plastic chair. Sad! Even he had no information and the head of department wasn’t even contacting them.

The crew and pilot of Shaheen Air International are great human beings. They should be provided with best or at least basic facilities like all other airlines are provided with. The crew was extremely tired yet helpful. They deserve much better and obvious necessities. These people are the assets of Pakistan and they should be respected and love instead of being insulted and hurt.

In the end, I’m grateful for the hospitality, care and all those thankful gestures the crew and pilot displayed towards me. Captain and rest of the crew saying that I saved them from this insult by standing alone with courage even being a woman when men chose not to speak a word is an excellent compliment and appreciation. May Allah bless us all, Ameen!