FO takes up issue of flight ban with UAE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry is in contact with the United Arab Emirate (UAE) authorities on the issue of flight ban from Pakistan to UAE, Foreign Office Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said.

Talking to Geo News, the spokesman said the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Pakistan has considerably improved as compared to many other countries of the world. “Hopefully the UAE will remove its travel advisory about Pakistan soon.”

The Spokesman said that Pakistani Foreign Ministry was in constant contact with its UAE counterpart on the subject. “Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has also highlighted this issue during his recent interactions with the foreign minister of the UAE.”

Replying of Geo’s query, Spokesman Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Saad Ayub said the latest letter from UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said that flights from Pakistan, India, South Africa and Nigeria and many other countries were banned till July 21. “After this date, the UAE authorities would review, if the ban should be extended or removed.”

Flights from Pakistan were banned by the UAE from May 12 this year. Diplomatic sources in Pakistan have termed allowing passengers from India with a valid residence visa who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, to travel to UAE and not allowing the Pakistani passengers in the same category as unjust. According to them, such discrimination questions the authenticity of the UAE’s move.

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, in a notice issued to Airmen (NOTAM) said the flights from Pakistan and 13 other countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and South Africa will remain suspended until July 21, 2021. The notice stated that cargo flights as well as business and charter flights would be exempted from the restrictions.

Starting from April 24, GCAA and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) suspended all inbound flights for national and international carriers coming from India. The travel suspension includes inbound transit passengers with exception of transit flights coming to the UAE and heading to India.