Airlines

Russian S7 Flight Delayed after Man Sees ‘ghosts Of Wagner Mercenaries onboard

According to reports, a passenger on a Russian S7 Airlines flight was taken from the aircraft after apparently freaking out when he saw a group of Wagner Group mercenaries onboard.

The man, identified only as Vitaly, 39, by Russian media outlets Baza and Mash, was captured in a viral video on Thursday shouting aboard a flight leaving Novosibirsk for St. Petersburg.

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“Stop. Put an end to the takeoff. “I’m not kidding,” the man was quoted as adding. “Pause the takeoff. Do it quickly. Stop the takeoff as soon as possible. Do it quickly. I get what you mean. Stop. Put an end to the takeoff. Make a stop.”

The passenger pleaded with the flight crew to hold off taking off because he saw “three ghosts of Wagner mercenaries who were watching him,” according to Anton Gerashchenko, who posted the video on Twitter.

A flight of a Russian S7 airline from Novosibirsk to St Petersburg was delayed for three hours because one of the passengers "saw" three ghosts of Wagner mercenaries who were watching him, according to the man.

The crew could not get him to calm down. In the end, the man was… pic.twitter.com/vkm16ydFGv
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) August 9, 2023

It should be remembered that Wagner mercenaries actively participated in both the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and Russia’s private military force, which was put on hold after a failed mutiny headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin in June.

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The staff was unable to calm him down. Gerashchenko said, which was also reported by Baza, “In the end, the man was carried away by police and transferred to a psychiatric facility. Baza said that the man, who was traveling with his mother, was calm during check-in and boarding but jumped up from his seat during the Taxiing. The aircraft was delayed by two hours as a result of the incident, according to the report.

Source:

Airlines

PIA Reinstates Manchester and Paris Routes After EU Ban Lift

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced plans to resume flights to Europe starting in January, beginning with Paris as its first destination.

The decision follows the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) removal of a long-standing ban on the airline. PIA’s inaugural flight to Paris is scheduled for January 10, with bookings opening on December 9.

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In an official statement, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan confirmed that the first flight schedule has been approved, marking a significant milestone in the airline’s recovery efforts. The EU ban had previously cost PIA approximately Rs40 billion ($144 million) annually in lost revenue, compounding its financial struggles.

With European operations restarting, PIA is now setting its sights on the United Kingdom. The airline plans to seek approval from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) to resume flights to major British cities such as London, Manchester, and Birmingham.

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These routes are anticipated to see high demand once necessary clearances are obtained. The lifting of the EU ban represents a key achievement for PIA as it works to rebuild its international network and regain its standing in the global aviation market.

By restoring flights to Europe and aiming for UK destinations, PIA is taking critical steps toward recovering lost ground and improving its financial outlook.