Karachi: A private airline at Jinnah International Airport performed a surprising and concerning act by allowing extra passengers to board a flight already filled to capacity.

According to aviation sources, the airline boarded two additional passengers beyond the number of available seats on its Islamabad-bound flight PA-206.

The flight’s captain raised an objection after discovering the irregularity during pre-takeoff checks. Sources said that as the aircraft was taxiing for departure, the captain realized that two extra passengers had been allowed onboard, prompting him to return the plane to the boarding bridge.

It was later revealed that the additional passengers were employees of the same airline. They were immediately offloaded before the flight resumed its journey.

The flight, which was scheduled to depart at 5:00 p.m., was delayed by approximately one and a half hours due to the incident, causing inconvenience to more than 170 passengers.

Airport management confirmed the occurrence and stated that the Pakistan Airports Authority has ordered a formal investigation into the matter to determine how the boarding error occurred and who was responsible.