Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has recovered Rs5.06 million from more than 20 employees accused of collecting extra charges for premium and extra-legroom seats at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport without depositing the money into the airline’s accounts.
The case came to light during an audit of PIA’s revenue operations, according to documents cited in a report published by Express News on October 19, 2026.
The audit examined records for May 2024 and May 2025 and identified alleged irregularities involving domestic and international flights.
The employees allegedly collected payments from passengers for premium, extra-legroom and bulkhead seats, then changed the relevant system records to show the seats as standard ones.
This allegedly concealed the additional revenue that should have been recorded by the airline.
The amount recovered through salary deductions was Rs5,060,269, according to the reported audit findings. The recovery restores the disputed amount to PIA’s accounts, but questions remain over the disciplinary action taken against those involved.
Audit Uncovers Alleged Revenue Irregularities
The Lahore Finance and Audit Committee identified the discrepancies while reviewing the airline’s revenue records. Following the findings, Lahore station manager Ashfaq Hussain Awan was directed to initiate formal action against the employees concerned.
More than 20 staff members and officers were reportedly identified, including three women. The allegations concern the handling of additional seat-selection charges and the recording of those transactions in PIA’s system.
Awan confirmed that the money had been recovered and deposited into the airline’s account. He also said one of the employees had since retired.
The allegations have not been presented here as findings of a criminal court. The available report documents the audit findings and financial recovery, but does not establish whether criminal proceedings were initiated or whether every employee was formally found guilty of misconduct.
Employees Reportedly Remain in Their Positions
Despite the recovery, the employees implicated in the case reportedly continued working in their existing positions. The report said further departmental action had stalled following intervention by senior officials.
Awan said he had not received formal communication from the competent authorities regarding disciplinary action against any staff member.
The distinction matters because recovering money and completing disciplinary proceedings are separate steps.
The recovery addresses the financial loss identified by the audit, while any further action would depend on the airline’s internal rules and the findings of the relevant proceedings.
PIA’s response on the status of those proceedings would help clarify whether the matter has progressed beyond salary deductions.
Separate ASF Action Over Airport Access Pass
The report also cited a separate incident involving a PIA employee whose airport entry pass was cancelled by the Airports Security Force (ASF) after an alleged case of unauthorised priority assistance at Lahore Airport on May 9, 2026.
According to the report, an ASF letter issued in May said the employee had allegedly facilitated a passenger at an immigration counter on a priority basis, contrary to government instructions governing airport entry passes.
The ASF’s published security instructions state that an airport entry pass issued for official duties must not be used to provide private protocol to passengers and warn that misuse can lead to confiscation or cancellation of the pass.
The seat-charging allegations and the airport-access case are separate incidents. The available information does not establish that they involved the same employee or were otherwise connected.
Questions Remain Over Accountability
The recovery of more than Rs5 million marks a financial outcome in the seat-charging case, but the reported status of the disciplinary proceedings leaves an important question unanswered.
PIA’s internal records and any subsequent decisions by the competent authorities would be needed to establish what action, if any, was ultimately taken against the employees. The airline’s formal response on the outcome of the proceedings would provide further clarity.
For now, the documented recovery and the reported allegations point to weaknesses that auditors identified in the handling of premium-seat revenue at Lahore airport. Whether those findings lead to further disciplinary action remains unclear.
