RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has resumed international flight operations after lifting the ban on land and air traffic.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia had temporarily suspended all international flights, amid the spread of a new variant of coronavirus from December 20.
As part of the SOPs issued by the Saudi government, any foreign passenger, who wished to enter Saudi Arabia from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and any other country determined by the Ministry of Health (in which the new mutated type of COVID-19 has spread) must spend at least 14 days outside the country impacted with the mutated virus before entering the Kingdom.
The passengers will have to go a PCR test after the expiration of this period to prove they do not carry coronavirus. Passengers from the nations which have recorded cases of the new strain will be quarantined in their homes under observation for 7 days, and undergo a PCR test, before the end of the quarantine period, on the sixth day of arrival.
Whereas, precautions will remain in place with regard to other countries, including home quarantine for seven days, or the home quarantine for three days, and a PCR test.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said it was resuming flight operations to Saudi Arabia after the Gulf country.
A PIA spokesperson said that passengers would be able to travel to Saudi Arabia from today after a notification was issued by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation allowing the resumption of flight operations. Previously, Pakistanis were only allowed to return from the country.
“Passengers can contact the PIA call center on 111 786 786 or visit the offices to activate old bookings or make new ones,” the spokesperson said, adding that a Covid-19 PCR test would be mandatory for all passengers before travel.
On December 28, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) had announced that non-Saudis could now leave the kingdom after all international commercial flights were halted last week.
The country’s aviation authority directed airlines operating in the airports of the Kingdom to transport non-Saudi passengers outside the Kingdom, and that is in total compliance with the precautionary measures to prevent COVID-19.
GACA has given permission to foreign airlines to operate charter flights for this purpose on the condition that the crew of a landing plane at the Kingdom’s airports do not leave their plane, and that they do not physically have contact with the ground/operation staff of the arrival airport.
Last week, the Kingdom closed its borders and suspended commercial flights over fears about a new coronavirus variant, which was detected in the United Kingdom. Following the order by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) canceled all flights to the kingdom.
