Islamabad: Pakistan International Airlines said on Monday that it was investigating reports that more passengers than the maximum allowed had travelled on an international flight, adding it launched disciplinary measures against the crew.

A PIA spokesman denied a newspaper report that seven extra passengers were forced to stand for the 3-hour flight from Karachi to Medina in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 20.

‘It is not possible for anyone to travel like that in an aircraft, regardless of the duration of the flight,’ Danyal Gillani.

A pilot and two other crew members were being disciplined, he said.

‘Strict action would be taken against anyone found at fault. PIA is committed to ensure the safety of the passengers and cannot allow any incident to happen which compromises safety,’ Gillani said.

PIA has been battling concerns about flight safety since a domestic flight crashed in the mountainous Chitral region in December, killing all 47 people on board.