Man arrested in Paris for attacking staff on PIA flight

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) confirmed that a passenger traveling on a Paris-bound flight was arrested by French police for attacking members of a cabin crew after he was told not to smoke.

A PIA spokesperson, in a statement on Monday, said that a passenger tried to light a cigarette on the Islamabad-Paris PIA flight PK-749, and upon refusal by a female flight attendant, he behaved rudely.

According to the airline statement, the passenger physically assaulted the flight attendant, injuring her arm. He also attacked the flight steward and the captain, but they managed to confiscate the cigarette from the passenger.

The captain informed French authorities during the flight as per the international aviation protocols, and police arrested the passenger upon the plane’s arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, the national flag carrier said.

“The passenger has been blacklisted by the PIA and he will not be able to travel on the national airline again,” the spokesperson said.

“Our cabin crew showed remarkable professionalism under pressure. The law will now take its course,” the statement read.