Saudi Airlines allowed to operate six evacuation flights to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Monday allowed Saudi Arabian Airlines to operate six special flights for repatriation of Pakistani nationals from Saudi Arabia, ARY News reported.

According to a spokesperson of CAA, the request of Saudi Airlines to operate six special flights during June 16-20 has been approved by the competent authority.

“The permission is subjected to the condition that no disembarkation of flight crew shall be permitted from the aircraft upon arrival at the Jinnah International Airport, Bacha Khan International Airport, Allama Iqbal International Airport and Islamabad International Airport, ” he added.

The permission is also subject to full compliance with revised standard operation procedures (SOPs) relating to the international passenger and charter flights issued by the CAA.

Earlier on May 28, as many as 152 more Pakistanis stranded in Saudi Arabia owing to coronavirus pandemic and suspension of flight operations had returned to homeland via a special flight of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Airport sources had said that a special flight of the national flag carrier PK-8764 had brought the stranded countrymen from Jeddah to Faisalabad International Airport.

The sources had maintained that out of the total, 79 passengers had been shifted to a quarantine facility established at FAST University in Chanute while 72 had been shifted to quarantine centres established at three different hotels in the city for screening and testing them for the COVID-19.