According to media sources, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued warning letters to six Pakistani airlines for allegedly failing to follow Covid SOPs set by the United Arab Emirates.
Warning letters have been dispatched to PIA, AirBlue, SereneAir, AirSial, Vision Air International (Pakistan), and Air Falcon for not adhering to COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for inbound flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cautioning it could withdraw the carriers’ permission to operate the route.
The warning letter, sent by Director Flight Standard, cites concerns expressed by the UAE’s CAA about these airlines’ behaviour.
The airlines are told in the letter that they must follow the Covid SOPs given down by their authorities at all times, especially on flights to the UAE.
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“Such violations are ignominious not only for the operator but also for the state and the regulator,” the PCAA stated, warning that the 6 Pakistani airlines failing to comply would face “sterner action which could include the withdrawal of permission to operate flights to and from UAE airports”.
According to the GCAA’s Safety Decision, an isolation area comprising of three rows should be assigned at the back of an aircraft for suspected COVID-19 cases. Cabin crews are mandated to wear face shields or goggles, masks, and gloves during service and disposable gowns as “minimum requirements”, the guidelines state.
Separate from the national aviation industry, the Board of Directors of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will meet in Karachi on October 27.
According to details, during meeting the participants will examine the purchase of new aircraft as well as the national flag carrier’s present financial status.
The Board of Directors meeting had been scheduled for October 25 but had to be rescheduled due to the absence of BOD members.
