CAA to increase capacity to test, quarantine passengers by April 20

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will increase the capacity to test and quarantine incoming passengers by April 20, in order to bring back Pakistanis stranded in foreign countries.

On April 10, 2020, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Dr Mooed Yusuf announced that the federal government was prioritising stranded passengers and determining volume in light of the capacity to test and quarantine incoming passengers to ensure the public's safety.

All passengers are tested and quarantined for seven days by the government and then have to observe seven-day self quarantine under the current arrangements.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the government was trying hard to fly back all stranded Pakistanis as soon as possible and the embassies were already directed to coordinate with Pakistanis stranded in foreign countries.

He further announced to increase the capacity from 2,000 to 8,000 from April 20. The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) continues its special flights operations and a special PIA flight arrived in Islamabad here on Thursday with much-needed Covid-19 relief goods for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

For stranded Pakistanis in the UAE, a special flight of the PIA will fly on April 17 (today) to repatriate passengers. In addition, other airlines like Fly-Dubai and Emirates airline will also be given the permission to operate special flights to various cities in the country to repatriate the stranded Pakistanis.

So far, around 25,000 stranded Pakistanis had registered with the Pakistani missions in the UAE demanding to return home, sources said. On Friday and Saturday, two flights will depart for Manchester from Islamabad.

Two more flights will be operated between Islamabad and Seoul on Friday (today). A special flight will be operated between Karachi and Jakarta on April 18. Two special flights will be operated between Karachi and Toronto on April 19.

Several Pakistanis were left stuck in various parts of the world as the country closed its airspace for international flights till April 21.