COVID-19: RT-PCR certificate not required from passengers airborne before March 21

ISLAMABAD, March 20 (APP): The Aviation Division on Friday said that passengers “To be airborne on direct flights to Pakistan from March 21 before 0501 hours (Pakistan Standard Time) would not be required to provide COVID-19 RT-PCR certificate.”

The NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued in this regard is aimed at extending the deadline from 5 am to 8 pm (March 21) and after that, the provision of certificate would be mandatory for the international passengers arriving Pakistan, a spokesman for the Aviation Division clarified in a press release.

“The test result must include the name and passport number of the passenger. Entry within Pakistan territorial limits shall not be allowed without the authentic COVID-19 through RT-PCR negative test result for coronavirus. The condition will remain in place till 4th April 2020 0001 hours UTC (0501 hours PST).”

He rejected a news item appearing in a section of the media about removing the condition of RT-PCR test for the coronavirus (COVID-19) after March 21, terming it ‘incorrect, saying, “No such decision has been made by the Aviation Division.”

In his earlier press notes, the spokesman had said that the international flight operations, suspended at Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta and Faisalabad airports, would resume from March 21, after elaborate COVID-19 screening measures in place. “The international flight operations will revert to the original airports, except Gwadar and Turbat, on March 21, 2020, at 0001 hours UTC (0501hours PST)”, he added.

On March 14, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) had suspended international flight operations from and to Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta and Faisalabad airports as part of safety measures against the coronavirus, restricting international traffic to Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

He said the flight operations were being resumed at the airports after installing better equipment for the proper screening of international passengers there.

However, the spokesman said “All aircraft are required to be disinfected as per the best industry practices prior to the embarkation of passengers at the point of origin. The airline shall be required to submit a certificate in this regard to the PCAA, failing which the aircraft shall be denied entry into Pakistan,” the spokesman said.
This condition would also be applicable for domestic flights, he added.

He said all passengers traveling to Pakistan would be required to provide a certified copy of the test result for COVID-19 through RT-PCR conducted during the 24-hour period, prior to boarding a flight.

The spokesman said boarding of all passengers at domestic flights would also be subject to the screening in the wake of a pandemic.

“This mandatory screening at domestic departures shall be enforced from March 21, at 0001 hours UTC (0501 hours PST) with the help of respective Federal and/ or provincial health authorities. This step has been taken to ensure that necessary steps are in place to control the spread of coronavirus in the country.”

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