CAA updates Covid-19 advisory, international travel categories

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has extended a travel ban on passengers arriving from United Kingdom (UK) other than Pakistani passport holders and updated its C category for international travel, ARY News reported.

The new standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been issued by the Director Air Transport department of CAA according to which category C international passengers now have to show Covid-19 report upon arrival and they will undergo another Covid test in Pakistan.

The CAA has added six more countries to the C category list. South Africa, UK, Portugal, Ireland and Brazil were the new countries included in category C.

It has notified the new categories, A & B, for international travels wherein 23 countries now qualify in the former category which means people traveling to Pakistan from them will not have to take the mandatory pre-boarding Covid test.

Read More: CAA delays fresh guidelines for inbound UK flights as passengers suffer

China, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Australia are among the A-category countries according to CAA.

However, those coming from countries in the B travel category will have to make sure a negative Covid PCR report at maximum of 90 hours prior to boarding.

The rest of Covid SOPs will remain the same and their implementation will be mandatory, CAA said today.

The new travel restrictions will remain in effect until February 28, 2021.