PIA and the Bumpy Ride

From New York on the way to Afghanistan

My respects paid, it was a quick ride back up 6th, grabbed my bags from the lobby of 20-11, and was out the door. For the first leg, SAS Airlines was kind enough to drop me off in Copenhagen for what was supposed to be a six-hour layover — but wait, it turned into 18. It wasn’t anyone in Scandinavia’s fault; it was just part of the ride, as I would soon find out when you are booked at that time on PIA.

In the early 2000s, anyone who flew Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) knew what to expect. Pakistan’s recent friendliness with Western governments hadn’t yet reached its airline service, which at that time, left much to be desired. My only real concern was, of course, to arrive alive — and judging by the plane, both inside and out, that even seemed uncertain.

So, from the moment we landed in Copenhagen, it became clear there would be no PIA flight to Islamabad for at least twelve hours, despite my ticket showing a much earlier departure. There was no airline desk, no representative, and no office. A SAS agent shrugged and said, “They kinda just show up and nobody truly knows when.” Clearly, I had time to kill.