Govt decides to halt all domestic flights to stem virus spread

ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan on Tuesday decided to suspend all types of domestic flight operations at all airports across the country with effect from 6 pm on March 26 in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, reported ARY News.

The decision to halt domestic flight operations came three days after suspension of international flights to the country.

“The Government of Pakistan after due consultation with all airline operators has decided to suspended all types of domestic scheduled/non-scheduled chartered and private aircraft passenger flight operations with effect from Thursday, March 26,” read a NOTAM issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

“The only exemption to the above would be cargo and special flights subject to necessary clearance,” it added.

Earlier, on March 21, the federal government had suspended all international flights coming into Pakistan for two weeks.

All incoming international flights were suspended for two weeks with effect 8 pm Saturday.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has surged to 958 after new cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh today.

Out of the total coronavirus cases, 407 were reported in Sindh, 267 in Punjab, 110 in Balochistan, 80 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 78 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas, 15 people were diagnosed with the deadly virus in federal capital Islamabad and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.