Screening of passengers starts at Bacha Khan International Airport

PESHAWAR: The authorities at the Bacha Khan International Airport have started screening of the passengers arriving by domestic flights to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.

Sources at the airport told The News that Chief Operating Officer of the airport, Obaidur Rahman Abbasi, had made it mandatory for everybody, including the airport staff and employees of the airlines to enter the lounge with mask and gloves.

According to official sources, until recently the passengers used to be screened properly upon their arrival and departure of international flights.

“Now all international flights have stopped operations to the airport in Peshawar, the airport manager decided to start proper screening of all the passengers leaving and arriving through domestic flights,” an official at the airport told The News on Sunday.

He spoke to this correspondent on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.

“In 124 hours, we used receive and depart 156 international flights and 27 domestic flights. We ensured proper screening of each and every passenger,” said the official.

He gave the credit to the airport manager, saying he had timely sensed sensitivity of the situation and started meetings with the officials concerned.

With coordination of federal and provincial governments, around 70 people, including doctors, paramedics and nursing staff were deployed at the airport equipped with the latest gadgets for screening of the passengers.

They had set up an isolation unit and established quarantine for suspected patients of coronavirus.

The federal government withdrew its staff after international airlines stopped their operations to Peshawar.

However, the airport administration appreciated cooperation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and particularly Director General Health Services Dr Tahir Nadeem Khan, and said he extended full cooperation at this critical time.

As the airport authorities have begun screening of domestic passengers, the sources said Dr Tahir Nadeem had made available his 60 staff, including doctors and paramedics.

The Health Department has arranged free pick and drop for the medical staff and also arranged free food at the canteen of Airport Security Force (ASF).

According to officials of the Health Department, screening of the domestic passengers was important and it should have been started earlier for prevention of the coronavirus.

“You know why I am saying this, because most of the domestic passengers are arriving from Karachi and Chitral are the pilgrims and returning from Iran. They come to Quetta from Iran and those who could afford take the flight and fly to Karachi and then come to Peshawar or Islamabad airport and then onward travel to Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan,” said the official.

He said he was happy the airport administration had followed WHO guidelines by frequent fumigation and cleaning the floors with antiseptics after each and every flight.

When reached, Bacha Khan International Airport Chief Operating Officer Obaidur Rahman Abbasi confirmed the screening of the domestic passengers.

“I don’t know about other airports but we held a meeting and thought it is important for health of the passengers and other people to screen them while leaving and arriving at the airport,” he said.

He said they had developed certain protocols and made it for everyone, including himself to follow while entering the airport premises.

“It is mandatory for everyone, including the passengers, airport staff and employees of all the airlines to wear a mask and gloves before entering the airport lounge,” said Abbasi. Besides this, he said they had made available sanitizers in the airport for everybody and introduced the culture of ‘one passenger and one visitor’ at the airport and their aim was to prevent the passengers and visitors from the virus.

He said they set up an information desk at the entry of the airport to facilitate passengers coming from remote areas and have no clue about their flights. On the same desk, health staff would also screen staff and other persons who visit the airport.