KARACHI: The government of Pakistan is mulling over to increase Pakistan International Airlines flights in wake of thousands of Pakistanis stranded abroad owing to cancellation of flights from foreign airlines, INP reported on Friday.
According to sources privy to the matter, the government is mulling to convey directions regarding an increase in flights and use of big aircraft to the PIA aimed at facilitating the stranded Pakistanis.
It is pertinent to mention here that the foreign airlines booked extra flights preempting ease in Covid restrictions before the National Command & Operation Centre meeting on June 29 and had to cancel the flights after the decision-making body on Covid restrictions decided against any ease.
This led to the airlines cancelling their booked tickets, which Pakistanis bought at higher rates.
Thousands of Pakistanis in Turkey and Doha have faced cancellation of their booked tickets, causing mental agony for them.
In this regard, Civil Aviation Authority on Friday issued a warning to some foreign airlines for the “sudden cancellation” of flights to and from Pakistan, causing hardships to passengers.
It was not immediately clear which airlines have been issued the warning.
On June 01, after Pakistan’s decision to limit international flights amid the coronavirus pandemic, two International Airlines cancelled their scheduled flights for Pakistan from the US.
However, some international airlines cancelled flights to Pakistan without prior intimation to the CAA, prompting the authority to take notice and issue warnings to them.
As per details, Turkish and Qatar International Airlines have cancelled their scheduled flights from the United States to Pakistan. The flights were scheduled to land in Pakistan in the first week of July.
Following the cancellation of the flights, Pakistanis in the US who were willing to return to the homeland, are facing difficulties, said sources.
Reacting to the situation, the spokespersons of the CAA, said that both the airlines did overbooking on the Pakistan-bound flights.
Meanwhile, an official of Qatar Airways told Dawn that some of its flights had been cancelled to comply with the NCOC’s restrictions [on capacity].
The NCOC, in its statement, said it had developed an integrated system to prevent the spread of the Covid-19, and in this regard, inbound flights were subjected to routine testing and quarantine of passengers upon arrival, if they were tested positive for the disease.
“So far, 280,000 people who landed home from abroad have been tested, and 600 were quarantined after being found positive for Covid-19,” the NCOC said.
An official of the Ministry of National Health Services had said Pakistan had introduced three categories — A, B and C — in October last year to deal with Covid-19.
“The countries in category A are exempted from the mandatory coronavirus testing, those in category B require a negative PCR test that has to be taken 72 hours before travel, while people coming from countries in category C have to face restrictions and are only allowed under strict NCOC guidelines,” he had said.
Pakistan had revised travel restrictions for inbound passengers from countries in category C in the second week of June, allowing Pakistanis to travel without the exemption letter. However, foreigners need the letter as per restrictions.
Passengers transiting through category C countries (not leaving the airport premises) also not require an exemption letter irrespective of the country of origin.
