Pakistani travelers heading abroad on visit visas, particularly to destinations like Dubai, Bangkok, and Malaysia, will now be required to book two-way tickets with the same airline. This new regulation aims to prevent issues arising from passengers having separate airline tickets with different PNR numbers.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have implemented this measure following incidents where passengers were denied boarding due to itineraries booked under different PNRs or return tickets with different airlines. Documents state that the FIA has expressed concern over “low-profile passengers” traveling to Malaysia and Thailand with different ticket numbers, even when booked under the same PNR.

This situation has allowed some travel agents to refund return tickets, leaving passengers stranded if they face entry refusal and deportation. Consequently, passengers are forced to pay the airline again, despite having already paid the travel agents in full.

To address this issue, the FIA has requested that boarding passes only be issued to passengers with the same ticket number, aiming to protect passengers from exploitation by certain travel agents and safeguard their rights.

A letter from the CAA noted that this procedure will apply to airlines flying to countries where a return ticket with the same airline is a border control requirement. Airlines from countries without such requirements can continue their usual ticket sales practices.

The FIA and CAA have communicated this new requirement to all domestic and foreign airlines operating in Pakistan.