COVID-19: Emirates airline resumes passengers’ flights to and from Pakistan
All passengers must carry negative COVID-19 test report from Emirates’ approved lab
Dubai: Emirates airline has resumed passengers’ flights to and from Pakistan from July 1 after temporary suspension of eight days.
However, all passengers travelling from Pakistan must carry negative COVID-19 test report from a laboratory approved by Emirates. The report should not be more than 96-hour-old. The airline had temporarily suspended flights to and from Pakistan on June 24 following cases the announcement of some COVID-19 positive cases among passengers flying on Emirates to Hong Kong.
Emirates started operating regular flights between Dubai and three major cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, an airline spokesperson confirmed in a statement sent to told Gulf News on Wednesday.
Flights to three cities
“Following the receipt of relevant government approvals, Emirates has resumed passenger services to Pakistan. Customers can travel to and from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad if they meet the requirements of their destination,” said the statement.
It added: “The health and safety of our crew, customers and communities remains our top priority. Emirates has put in place a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey on the ground and in the air, to minimise the risk of infection spread. More information on these measures can be found on: www.emirates.com/yoursafety.”
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAAA) also said on June 29 said that passengers on all flights from Pakistan, including transit ones, will not be received at UAE airports until the establishment of a laboratory designated for conducting COVID-19 tests. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA) has announced a temporary suspension of flights from Pakistan until a laboratory is set up for COVID-19 tests, from Monday.
COVID-19 tests for all passengers
Emirates also said that passengers travelling from Pakistan to Dubai and beyond on Emirates must present a negative COVID 19 PCR test result certificate at the time of check-in. The PCR test must be taken up to four days prior to the travel date (96 hrs maximum) and must be conducted at the Emirates authorised Health Centre below at the passenger’s expense.
Where to do the test
Emirates will only accept COVID-19 PCR tests done at Chughtai Labs which are located in all big cities of Pakistan.
Passengers must bring their Emirates booking and passport to the test lab.
Children under 12 years old are exempt from taking the PCR test if they are travelling with their parents who have tested negative and are fit to travel.
The move is a precautionary measure to ensure the health and safety of arrivals from Pakistan.