Pilot refuses to fly plane because his 'shift was over' as passengers protest

dailystar.co.uk:

Saudi Arabia at the weekend when a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Riyadh to Islamabad was forced to land in Dammam because of the weather.But the pilot then refused to take off again, telling his passengers that he had finished his shift, reports The Express Tribune.In protest, the passengers refused to get off Sunday’s flight PK-9754, and that prompted security teams at the airport to intervene.A spokesperson for PIA said it was necessary for pilots to follow the rules regarding shift patterns for safety reasons, and alternative arrangements were made for the passengers as a result.They eventually arrived in Islamabad later that night.It’s not just bad weather that has left travellers frustrated recently.Last month, British Airways passengers hoping to fly to Barbados were left stuck on their plane at Heathrow for more than five hours after the pilot tested positive for Covid-19 while he was in the cockpit.To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.England hockey star Darcy Bourne, 20, was among the frustrated passengers, and she gave updates of their ordeal via TikTok.In the first of her three videos, she said: "Pilot just got a text saying he tested positive so we're all stuck on the plane."In the video, the pilot can be heard saying: "What we're currently doing is looking for another pilot to take my place and that process is ongoing, but it's not going to happen quickly and at the moment we have got people in the process of trying to find someone."In the second video, taken in the airport's departure lounge, Darcy said: "Update: they kicked us all off five hours later and gave us all £4 food vouchers."But the frustrated passengers were later.