London-bound Pakistan International Airlines flight departed at around midnight. (File)
A London-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight was delayed for over three hours after a physical brawl between the pilot and a steward.
According to a source, flight PK-757 from Lahore to London was ready for departure at 9 pm on Saturday when suddenly pilot Anwaar Chaudhry asked the other crew members to make steward Awais Qureshi, whom he called a notorious smuggler, leave the aircraft, reports Dawn news.
Mr Anwaar claimed that in the past Mr Qureshi remained involved in smuggling incidents during duty, bringing bad name to the airline.
A brawl took place between the two, attracting attention of the other crew members who supported the pilot.
As a result, the source said, the flight got delayed for three hours, sparking agitation from the passengers who stood up and raised slogans against the PIA management.
The flight later departed at around midnight.
The PIA spokesperson confirmed the incident on Sunday, saying an inquiry had been launched to ascertain facts.