Coronavirus fears: CAA closes five major airports for international flights

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) implementing on the decisions taken in National National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Saturday closed five major airports of the country for international flights, ARY News reported.

According to a notification, the international operations will remain suspended at five major airports across the country including those in Peshawar, Faisalabad, Quetta, Sialkot and Multan.

However, domestic flights will remain operational at the following and other airports across the country, the notification stated.

The International flights for Peshawar have been diverted to Islamabad, while the Quetta bound international flights will now land at Jinnah International Airport Karachi, said CAA in a notification.

According to a new schedule, the four international fights coming from Dubai, Bahrain and Jeddah for Multan airport, will now land at Lahore airport.

Dubai-bound FZ-338 flight will now take off from Islamabad airport instead of Sialkot airport, reads new schedule.

Meanwhile, the aviation authority has also barred pilots, inspectors, examiners for OPC and PPC from visiting abroad with immediate effect till further orders in the wake of coronavirus spread.

The notification is conveyed to all national and international airlines, flying clubs and others.

It is pertinent to mention here that a National Security Council (NSC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to limit international flight operations to three major airports of the country aimed at tackling the spread of coronavirus, whose 28 cases have been reported in the country by Friday.