Pakistan resumes international flight operation

ISLAMABAD: The government has announced the resumption of full-scale international flight operation from all airports of the country.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a notification regarding the resumption of international flight operation in Pakistan stating that all international and chartered flights will be authorised to operate to and from all airports except Gwadar and Turbat.

The latest decision came into effect from Friday night and flights will resume from June 20. The aviation authority will approve the flight schedule to ensure sufficient separation between arrival and departures of the passengers under health protocols adopted to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The flight operation will be continued under the standard operating procedures (SOPs) devised by the concerned authorities. All cargo, special and diplomatic flights will require special permission from higher authorities.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Zulfi Bukhari had apprised the federal cabinet on the plight of overseas Pakistanis and said that nearly 200,000 people have become unemployed abroad.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, in a Twitter post, announced the resumption of flights on all airports, except Gwadar and Turbat. “Govt of Pakistan has authorized International Flight Operations to/from All International Airports of Pakistan except Gwadar and Turbat airports, with effect from June 20, 2020,” it said.

Earlier on June 16, Prime Minister Imran Khan had given a green signal to resume international flight operations, after closing its airspace to commercial flights since March to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision had been taken in a federal cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister which decided to restore international flight operations in phases. In the first phase, international flights will be resumed for the Gulf region.

The prime minister had directed concerned authorities to prepare an action plan for the resumption of international flights.