A MUM has slammed an airline after her family's return flight from holiday was cancelled.

Nasreen Ayoob was thrown into a last-minute panic when she found out her flight from Islamabad, Pakistan, to Manchester was no longer scheduled for August 31.

The 38-year-old said she was told by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to travel as planned this Sunday and that "something would sorted out" for their return trip.

"It is ridiculous," said Mrs Ayoob.

"I have never been told at the last minute that you might not come back."

Mrs Ayoob, husband Nazam Hussain and their four children, of Clayton, booked the £2,700 flights last January and were initially scheduled to fly from and back to Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA).

However, PIA flights between LBA and Islamabad were scrapped in May.

Mrs Ayoob said PIA failed to tell her about the change, but that she managed to secure places on flights from Manchester on August 17, with a return to the same city on August 31. But then she found out something else.

"Only last week in conversation I was told that flights due to return from Islamabad have been cancelled for Sundays," said Mrs Ayoob.

"We were due to return on Sunday August 31. No-one from PIA told us anything."

Mrs Ayoob said she suffered many fruitless trips and phone calls to PIA's office in Bradford as she tried to sort out an alternative date, even offering to cut short the family's holiday. The family are now flying back on September 2.

"We are working parents," she said. "Our children have to be back in school on September 2, my husband was due to return to work on September 1.

"I had to beg my husband's boss to let him have a couple more days off.

"It is our first holiday for five years."

She added: "PIA have been absolutely awful. The stress it has caused has been phenomenal - are we going or are we not. I will never fly with them again."

A spokesman for PIA said flights only left Islamabad for Manchester on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He said the family would not be charged extra if the airline was found to be at fault.

He added: "I think there is a problem with the travel agent who doesn't want to put in any effort."

The spokesman also said that PIA had not received any major complaints from other passengers about disruption to travel plans.