Rawalpindi: The Aviation Division has announced the government’s decision to extend the suspension of all domestic flights till April 11, according to a news report. Previously, the executive had decided to suspend all schedule and non-scheduled private and chartered domestic passenger flights from March 26 to April 2.
The Aviation Division’s spokesperson and senior joint
secretary Abdul Sattar Khokhar revealed that this deadline has now been
extended to April 11. However, he clarified that the domestic flights from Islamabad
International Airport to Gilgit and Skardu airports and vice versa commence as per
their schedule.
He added that case-by-case exemptions will only be considered for diplomatic, special/cargo flights, and PIA flights carrying stranded passengers to or from Pakistan, pending special approval. In all cases, passengers will be thoroughly inspected as per set procedures, with screening, swab testing, and isolation/quarantine rules followed according to medical advice.
In this regard, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released a set of guidelines for all cabin crew members to ensure the safety as of passengers and staff members. This involves proper hygiene practices for all personnel before entering the cockpit. They have also been instructed to use disinfectant gel often, not take public transport and to eat only in their rooms when staying in hotels. In addition, the crew has been asked to follow all the preventive practices recommended by the WHO and health professionals.
