By Special Correspondent
The Pakistani government has levied a fine of PKR 100,000 on Qatar Airways for violating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) levied against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Aviation Division spokesperson, Abdul Sattar Khokhar, said in a statement on Friday that the government had taken serious note of the violation that placed the health and safety of passengers and staff employed at the airport at risk, Dawn reports. He said the fine had been levied by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The airline shall also be responsible for all expenses incurred for the testing of Covid-19 and for the quarantine of passengers and personnel, Khokhar added. He said that one of the passengers with a positive Covid-19 test report had traveled on the Qatar Airways flight to Islamabad. The CAA has already guided airlines operating flights to and from Pakistan to ensure compliance with the SOPs developed and enforced to protect passengers from the virus.
The Pakistan government has released new standard operating procedures (SOPs) against the Covid-19 pandemic, requiring travellers from the affected countries to undergo a mandatory PCR test 94 hours before leaving for the region. Passengers were therefore asked to undergo the corona PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test 96 hours prior to departure for any airport in Pakistan.
Passengers from countries where the pandemic has been regulated will, however, be exempted.
The test will be mandatory for all travellers from Category B countries where the virus is prevalent, with the exception of children under 12 years of age, people with disabilities and international delegations.