14 DAY TRIAL // The commercial flight from Pakistan to New York was delayed for two and a half hours after the pilot decided not to depart without his special tailored sandwiches. Disregarding the inconvenience created for the airline and the passengers, especially those with connecting flights, he waited for his food delivery.
The Pakistan International Airline New York-bound flight via Manchester was supposed to depart at 6.45am, but ended up leaving at 9.15am because the catering menu didn't include the pilot's choice of food. Keen on that particular meal above the set menu, Flight Captain Noushad ordered the sandwich delivery with a waiting period of 2.5 hours.
The menu approved for the flight included lunch, peanuts, chips and biscuits but nothing could meet the pilot's demands. The catering staff informed the captain about the inconvenience just minutes before the flight was set to depart and that the only way to acquire the sandwiches was by having them delivered from a five-star hotel, taking at least two hours to arrive, notes The Nation.
The foodie pilot wanted the items delivered no matter how much time it took, so the catering staff complied to meet the captain's demands. The airline's management was aware of the problems that the two and a half hours delay would bring and the bad reputation associated with the company's name afterwards and decided to start an investigation to take action against the ones responsible.
The catering menu was changed in an attempt to cut costs, and sandwiches were replaced with peanuts, chips and biscuits. The revised menu was meant for international and long-duration flights and started at the end of November.
Passengers on the flight were clearly outraged, missing connecting flights from both Manchester and New York, and having to add an extra two hours and a half to their long and exhausting traveling hours. Pakistan International Airlines surely had to deal with a huge amount of customer complaints and a bad image for its company.