NCOC recommends reducing international flight operation by 80pc

KARACHI: National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has suggested reducing international flight operations in the country by 80 percent owing to a surge in COVID-19 cases within the country, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, the NCOC has called for operating only 20 percent of the flights, and a NOTAM in this regard would be issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after receiving the directives.

The NCOC directives have come a day after the Aviation Division summoned an important session to mull over increasing the number of international flight operations.

The secretary aviation will chair a session on Friday to discuss the requests made by the foreign airlines to increase the number of flights to Pakistan.

The foreign airlines have requested Pakistan’s aviation authority to allow them to increase the number of flights, whereas, a private airline pleaded with the CAA to granting permission for hiking the overall flights.

An airline from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested the highest number of flights to Pakistan, whereas, the other countries that sought permission for enhanced flight operations include Turkey, Hungary and the United Kingdom (UK).

Sources told ARY News that the enhanced flight operation by the foreign airlines will generate an income to the aviation division up to Rs9 billion. Moreover, the aviation division will also remove reservation of the national carrier and private airlines in the upcoming session.