Suspended int’l flight operations from five airports to resume from March 21

ISLAMABAD, March 18 (DNA):The Aviation Division is all set to resume the international flight operations, suspended at Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta and Faisalabad, from March 21 after making elaborate coronavirus screening measures there.

“The international flight operation will revert to the original airports, except Gwadar and Turbat, on March 21, 2020 at 0001 hours UTC (0501hours PST),” a spokesman for the Aviation Division said in a press release.

On March 14, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority had suspended international flight operations from and to Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta and Faisalabad airports as part of safety measures against the coronavirus, restricting international traffic to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Now, the spokesman said, the flight operations were being resumed at the airports after installing better equipment for proper screening of international passengers there.

“All aircraft are required to be disinfected as per the best industry practices prior to embarkation of passengers at the point of origin. The airline shall be required to submit a certificate in this regard to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, failing which the aircraft shall be denied entry into Pakistan,” the spokesman said.

This condition would also be applicable for domestic flights, he added.

He said all passengers travelling to Pakistan would be required to provide a certified copy of the test result for COVID-19 through RT-PCR conducted during the 24-hour period prior to boarding the flight.

“The test result must include the name and passport No of the passenger. Entry within Pakistan territorial limits shall not be allowed without the authentic COVID-19 through RT-PCR negative test result for coronavirus. The condition will remain in place till 4th April, 2020 0001 hours UTC (0501 hours PST).”

The spokesman said boarding of all passengers at domestic flights would also be subject to the screening in the wake of coronavirus.

“This mandatory screening at domestic departures shall be enforced from March 21, at 0001 hours UTC (0501 hours PST) with the help of respective federal and/ or provincial health authorities. This step has been taken to ensure that necessary steps are in place to control the spread of coronavirus in the country.”