A country where VIPs fly and citizens struggle to board

An eyewitness account from Lahore Airport reveals extreme crowding, failed assistance services and unusable mobile signals, highlighting a growing gap between VIP convenience and the everyday traveler’s struggle.

WEBDESK – MediaBites

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is often seen busy with cricket affairs these days. But perhaps, if a few hours can be spared from stadiums and boardrooms, a visit to Pakistan’s airports might reveal a crisis far more urgent than a batting lineup.

A recent experience at an international departure terminal exposed how broken the system has become. Arriving nearly three and a half hours before departure — the recommended time for international travel — should provide comfort, especially when traveling with an 83-year-old passenger requiring a wheelchair. Instead, it delivered anxiety.

There were only three departing flights, yet the terminal looked like a public rally. Passengers stood pressed against each other in long, unmoving lines. Mobile signals were almost nonexistent — calls failed, WhatsApp refused to connect, and coordinating assistance became nearly impossible.

The situation was made worse by extremely poor cellular coverage; Jazz network service at Lahore Airport was practically unusable, leaving passengers digitally stranded in a place where communication is essential.

A pre-arranged wheelchair attendant could not be contacted. After repeated attempts, the airline office managed to provide a wheelchair, but a porter remained unavailable despite 15–20 minutes of searching.

The situation worsened at immigration and security. Four to five serpentine queues made it seem inevitable the flight would depart without many passengers. There was no visible priority arrangement for elderly travelers — a standard courtesy at airports across the world. Only after a personal request did an ASF officer intervene, arranging a porter internally and opening an alternative gate so women and senior citizens could pass. Boarding was completed just 45 minutes before departure.

This was not comfort — it was survival.

Despite winter weather, the elderly passenger complained of suffocation from the crowd. The problem was not staffing alone; it was management failure. Civil Aviation Authority, ASF and FIA all appeared present, yet none appeared in control.

The deeper issue is structural inequality. Pakistan’s airports function on two parallel systems — one for the powerful and one for the public. Ministers, MNAs and MPAs walk through special gates without queues, which means they never experience what ordinary Pakistanis endure. Policy blindness begins where inconvenience ends for decision-makers.

Airports are a country’s first and last impression. When passengers feel relief only after boarding the aircraft — not after landing — something is fundamentally wrong.

If the interior minister’s attention is divided between governance and cricket administration, then responsibilities should be clearly separated. Managing national security infrastructure like airports requires full-time focus, not part-time oversight.

Because right now, passengers are not just traveling abroad — they are escaping the airport.