CAA extends travel restrictions on inbound UK flights

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan has extended on Monday the temporary travel restrictions it imposed on the UK flights earlier last week in view of second novel coronavirus wave amplified by a newly detected Covid strain found hastily transmissible across Britain, ARY News reported.

In its new notification released today, the national aviation authority, which enforced the restrictions initially for a week until Dec 29, has now extended them for another week ending January 4, 2021.

The notification further added the future of this suspension will be decided upon situation playing out by January 4.

It may be noted that earlier last week, the cabinet’s aviation division had imposed travel restrictions on UK to Pakistan flights due to a newly detected variant of COVID which the UK authorities confirmed was 70 per cent more transmissible than the original viral.

READ: Pakistan makes exceptions in travel restrictions placed on UK flights

According to new CAA advisory on inbound travel from UK, any Pakistan passport holder with Business visa, visitor visa or Transit visa can board Pakistani-bound UK flight on a condition they test COVID negative in a PCR test conducted 72 hours prior to flight.

Secondly, Pakistani based in England with study, family, work and settlement visa, which is due to expire within 30 days starting Dec 22, may also return to Pakistan with the same PCR test conditions.

Other than these cases stated above, the flight crew and personnel working in flights between UK and Pakistan may also, with their COVID negative PCR tests and post landing quarantine in the designated hotesl, disembark for Pakistan according to CAA.

The notification further said that all diplomatic officials of British High Command and their families currently outside Pakistan may also, with their negative PCR results, travel back to Pakistan.