- The airline I'm flying with today
is actually banned from flying in Europe.
It's banned from flying
into the US as well,
but that's all okay
because I'm not heading to
either of those places today.
I'm flying today with PIA
Pakistan International Airlines
from here at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia
up to Islamabad in Pakistan.
So they told me I needed to
head straight to the gate
and check in there.
I still don't have my boarding pass,
but apparently I have to check in
at the gate for the flight.
So here is the gate
and there is lots of
passengers here but no staff.
So I think we just have to wait here.
No plane yet either, which
is a little bit worrying.
It's actually a much busier flight
than I thought it would be.
There's lots of people
here waiting for PIA
and the rest of the airport is deserted,
but here at the PIA gate, it's rammed.
It was time to check in
which caused some degree of confusion
as to why I was actually going to Pakistan
in the first place.
While I waited our
aircraft finally turned up.
Every passenger had to weigh their handbag
with most people been weigh over
and being sent to the back
of the queue to get reduced.
- Well, that was a little bit of a faff,
wasn't it checking in there,
but I am now at the gate ,
I've got my boarding pass to Islamabad.
And there is my flight
to Islamabad, PIA 777.
This one's actually just
got back from a few years,
rotting in the desert in Saudi Arabia.
It was just called back to
service a few months ago.
So freshly serviced and
freshly ready to fly us
on the six hour flight from
here at KL up to Islamabad.
It's quite funny.
I don't think I've ever
seen so many people
with so much excess baggage
before the gate agents
were just taking so much time
off people, unbelievable.
I'm just looking at everything
that's coming off the flight
out there in the minute and
it's like cardboard boxes
and all sorts but not with the boxes.
A squirt of sticky fluid later
and I nervously made my
way down the jet bridge
to the aircraft that I'd
been simultaneously excited
and nervous about at the same time.
- Okay, here we go PIA.
- Good morning.
- Hi, how are you?
- Very well, thank you.
- Nice flight.
- Thank you.
- Okay, so onboard the PIA 777
this is PIA's Executive
Economy or Business Class.
really, but they call it executive economy
because it's there all
find a business class seats
that's are kind of a bit old and worn now.
So they just call it executive economy.
And it's pretty decent actually.
I'm in row 1 so I've got loads
of leg room, seats a bit
cramped, it moves around
a little bit, but it's reasonable.
It's not too bad.
It's in a 2, 3,2 configuration.
Hot towel.
So the seat is relatively comfortable.
It's a bit kind of battered
it slides backwards and forwards
it's not fastened particularly well,
but some controls here for it.
Looking a little bit battered and dirty,
but I'm sure that they will do the job.
It reclines to an
almost flat bed position as well,
which is pretty decent.
And then we've got here
sort of looking a little bit battered
of life vests in there
if we need them pretty
good, pretty comfortable.
Anyway the aircrafts kind of
probably about three quarters
full it's rammed down the back in economy
but up here in executive it's not too bad.
A bit of a weird fusty smell on the plane,
all the windows are a
bit scratched as well,
you can see
slidey thing as well.
Okay, utter chaos ensuing now.
So most of the customers are on board,
but a few people are in the wrong seat
and we've got passengers
shouting at flight attendants
and things, flight attendants
running around with bits
of paper in the hands,
utter chaos, we should have
left about 10 minutes ago,
but it's still passengers are
still fighting over the seats.
The boxes kept coming.
The seat kept wobbling,
but eventually we pushed
back from the gate
around half an hour late.
This poor sod's run of
bad luck wasn't quite over
as he discovered his seat
recline didn't work today,
and he had to spend the entire flight
with his leg on a metal
box from the galley.
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My route to Islamabad today
then took us north of Kuala Lumpur
to cross the Bay of Bengal towards India.
We flew across India and into Pakistan
with a flight time of
five hours and 20 minutes.
I decided to put my seat back a little,
which turned out to be well,
not quite the smoothest operation.
So the reason that PIA got banned
from the UK Europe and the US,
is it basically turned out
that after the latest accident they had,
PIA did a bit of an investigation
and discovered that a lot
of their pilots were flying,
without actually having a pilot's license,
some small issue really, I suppose.
As a result of that PIA then decided
to get rid of all the pilots
that they knew didn't have pilot licenses
and they've clamped down.
So they're not going to
accept any pilotss anymore,
unless they've got a license.
But clearly the European
Safety Association and FAA
didn't think that was good enough.
And they've remained banned
from Europe and the US ever since.
I've got my private pilot's license on me
at the minute it's in my bag up top.
So if they need me, I'm here.
It'd be nice to get a 777 in the logbook.
It was soon lunchtime
and the crew came around
with their meal choices.
- Thank you.
- Would you like chicken,
biriani or chicken masala?
- Chicken masala please.
This was also the point
that I made the mistake of asking on
on a dry airline.
- Do you have any beer?
- Sorry
- Do you have any beer?
- No, just soft drinks
Still it was worth the shots I guess.
I settled for a fizzy orange juice
to drink with my chicken curry.
- So lunchtime and not a bad
choice of food here on PIA.
They've got choice of like
four different curries
and you can choose.
I went for the chicken tikka masala.
Which looks alright.
A few other bits and pieces
going around as well.
But for a five hour flight,
it's not a bad selection really.
It's really nice.
Proper nice actually.
So then a couple of hours
out of Kuala Lumpur now
on our way to Islamabad on PIA 777.
Thought I'd come and
look around the bathroom,
it's pretty, it's not bad.
Just some nice sort of
toiletries and stuff
smellies and stuff.
The aircraft is not too bad
It's a little bit shabby in it's age,
but it's like 15 years old.
So it's kind of to be expected I guess.
It's all dark in the cabin
which is why I've come
here because all the
window blinds have been
shut by the cabin crew.
Now I might try and get my head down
and try and get a little bit of rest
before we arrive into Islamabad.
As I put my seat back,
I soon started to regret that decision
when I saw what was down
the side of the seat.
- I'm kind of regretting
putting my seat back now
and I've seen that.
So I've just woken up from a nap
over India not far to go
before we land into Islamabad.
I've been woken up actually
by the unmistakeable smell
of cigarette smoke.
Very strange.
Now of course
passengers are strictly prohibited
from smoking on board PIA flights.
I mean, there's a sign up and everything.
And I'm sure that not a single member
of the crew or passengers,
would ever want to bend those rules,
not on PIA surely.
We soon got a glimpse
of Pakistan down below.
And I have to say, I was surprised
at just how green it was.
My flight to Islamabad about cost me £307
or $405 for a flight of 2,800 miles.
Giving a cost per mile of £0.11p
- Thank you.
Thank you very much, goodbye.
The airport at Islamabad
is wonderful and modern
and seemed deserted with just
a couple of planes outside.
Arriving into Pakistan right
now is fairly straight forward.
You have a temperature scan
and drop your completed
health form in a box
before going through passport control,
and getting on your way.
There is however, a 14
day quarantine right now,
which meant that for me, I
just had to go to my hotel,
stay there overnight and then not leave
until I went back to the
airport the next day.
- Give me 1500 Rupees
- Five Euros.
1500 Rupees.
Thank you.
- Thank you.
My taxi ride to the hotel
actually blew my mind.
Islamabad is such an
incredibly beautiful city
and one I really hope to be going back to
when I can stay a little bit longer
and experience the wonderful
Pakistani hospitality again.
And of course, some more
of those great curries.
- So then here in the beautiful city
of Islamabad in Pakistan.
I mean, it's just an incredible place.
My hotel room is amazing.
Look at the view I've got
out of this window here.
Over the mountains to
the North of Islamabad.
Absolutely amazing
flight with PIA actually.
I wasn't sure what to expect.
I've heard so many differing
opinions on about it
and to be honest, they
were perfectly okay.
The aircraft was a little bit tired
and a little bit worn but apart from that,
the service was just absolutely fantastic.
The food was great.
Everybody I met the entire crew
and everybody here in
Islamabad airport as well.
were just so nice and lovely as well.
I do think it's a bit sad that PIA
have kind of had half their route network,
decimated lately.
They're in a really tough place.
They've got some quite old planes as well.
And I really honestly do think
that given a little bit of
investment in their aircraft
that PIA could be up there
with some of the best airlines.
They're in a great place here
in Pakistan for connections
through to Asia.
I really do think that they
could make a really good
go of doing long haul services.
They just need that
little bit of investment.
Let me know what you think of this.
And I'd particularly like to hear
from Pakistanis in the comments,
your opinions of your
national airline as well.
Because like I said,
PIA is one of those airlines
that just gives you
such differing opinions
depending on who you speak to.
I've spoken to Pakistanis
who love their airline
and some that are ashamed of it.
I'd love to know your thoughts
down in the comments below.
I really do hope you've
enjoyed today's video on PIA.
Let me know what you think
to it down in the comments.
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want to miss any of them.
In the meantime though,
as always from Islamabad,
thank you so much for watching,
take care and I'll see you next time.
