Airblue Passenger Rights in Pakistan: Refund After a 5 Hour Delay, 50% for Denied Boarding

If Airblue delays your flight by more than 5 hours and you decide not to travel, you are entitled to a full refund of the unused ticket. If you are denied boarding on an overbooked flight and did not volunteer, Airblue owes you 50% of the ticket's face value, excluding taxes. Airblue publishes both rules in its passenger rights notice.

A late flight at Islamabad or Karachi is easy to dread and hard to argue about without the paperwork. We read Airblue's passenger rights page on 21 October 2026. Its rules cite articles of the carrier's conditions, the Fifth Schedule of Pakistan's air law and the Montreal Convention. The page also points to two longer documents, an Air Navigation Order on air passenger rights and a document it calls the GACA Passenger Rights Regulations.

A delay over 5 hours earns a full refund if you stop travelling

For delays of more than about 2 to 4 hours, depending on distance, Airblue must give meals or refreshments and a way to communicate, plus a hotel if you must stay overnight. If the delay passes 5 hours and you stop, you get a full refund.

The page says the exact wait that triggers meals is "2 to 4 hours, depending on distance". It does not give a table by distance, so we cannot tell you which flights fall on which side.

A cancelled flight must give you another route or a full refund

When Airblue cancels, it must offer alternative transport to your final destination, re-routing, or a full refund of the unused ticket, and a hotel for the night if needed. Compensation may also apply unless you were told at least 12 hours before.

The airline is not liable for that extra compensation if it shows it took all reasonable measures to avoid the cancellation. In plain words, a storm or a closed runway is a defence, and a plane that was simply not available is not. Ask in writing which of the two Airblue is claiming.

The wider rules for any airline flying in Pakistan are in the guide to what airlines must give you when a flight is delayed or cancelled.

Denied boarding on an overbooked flight pays half the ticket value

If you checked in on time and met every requirement, you can choose re-routing or a refund. If you did not volunteer to give up your seat, Airblue owes 50% of the ticket's face value, excluding taxes. The sum may be halved if you are delayed under 4 hours.

The halving rule applies where alternative transport is provided and your delay is under 4 hours. That is a long way from a loss of a full day. Keep your boarding pass or e-ticket and note the time you checked in, since the right depends on checking in on time.

The same logic exists at Serene Air, where counters close 45 minutes before departure and denied boarding pays 50%. The details are in Serene Air's check-in and delay rights.

International flights cap delay damages at 4,150 SDR

On international flights the cancellation, denied boarding and hotel rules match domestic flights. Delay liability is capped at 4,150 Special Drawing Rights under the Montreal Convention. Baggage loss, damage or delay is assessed case by case under the Montreal and Warsaw Conventions.

Special Drawing Rights are a unit set by the International Monetary Fund, and the rupee value moves daily. We did not convert the cap into rupees because no official rate was on the page. On domestic flights, damages for delay are limited to proven losses or double the fare paid, whichever is smaller.

Report lost baggage before you leave the terminal

Airblue says to file a Property Irregularity Report, called a PIR, before you leave the terminal building, with a copy of your baggage tag number. Receipts for what was inside make the claim stronger. Domestic bag liability is capped at Rs 1,000 per kilogram.

1. Go to the Airblue baggage desk before you exit the arrival hall.
2. Ask for a PIR and fill it in with your baggage tag number.
3. Keep a copy of the PIR and the tag.
4. List the contents and keep any receipts.
5. Call 111-247-258 to follow up, and keep a note of each call.

At Rs 1,000 a kilo, a 20 kg bag is covered to Rs 20,000 at most, which is our arithmetic from the published cap. A laptop or jewellery in a checked bag can be worth far more than that, so carry valuables in your hand bag. The full process is in how to claim lost or damaged baggage at a Pakistani airport.

Common questions

When do I get a refund for an Airblue delay?

When the delay passes 5 hours and you choose to stop travelling, you are entitled to a full refund of the unused ticket.

How much does Airblue pay for denied boarding?

If you did not volunteer, it owes 50% of the ticket's face value, excluding taxes. The amount may be halved if the delay is under 4 hours and another flight is provided.

Does Airblue give a hotel for a long delay?

Yes, if you must stay overnight. The page lists a hotel, meals or refreshments and communication facilities.

What is the baggage limit for loss on a domestic flight?

Rs 1,000 per kilogram under Rule 22(2) of the Fifth Schedule.

Where do I make a baggage claim?

File a PIR before leaving the terminal building and keep your baggage tag number. Receipts help.

Who do I contact about a complaint?

The rights page does not list a complaints procedure. Use Airblue's 24 hour call centre on 111-247-258, or the Contact Us page on its website.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 21 October 2026. Delay, cancellation, denied boarding, baggage and Montreal Convention rules come from the passenger rights page at airblue.com and the customer service page, which we read on that date. We did not open the two longer documents the page points to, so we cannot say whether they give a different figure. The Rs 20,000 example is our own arithmetic. We did not file a claim with Airblue.