Pakistan Today (Lahore)

Pcaa orders compliance with latest uae Covid-19 regulation­s

- Staff Report

The aviation regulator has directed airlines operating in Pakistan to comply with adequate safety rules on all flights to and from airports in the United Arab Emirates, warning a failure to do so will lead to suspension of permission to operate flights on the route, among other penalties. Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), in a notificati­on issued over the weekend, noted the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the sheikhdom had shared two safety assessment­s of foreign aircraft (SAFA) reports containing violations of the Safety Decision 2020-20 committed by airline operators. “The conditions of operation to UAE airports are very clearly enunciated for the operators, but despite that clarity […] non-compliance by the operators with regards to only one row of seats in the cabin for isolating infected passenger(s) with insufficie­nt distance of one metre and not using full PPE (personal protective equipment) by cabin crew [has been pointed out],” the notificati­on read. “Such violations are ignominiou­s not only for the operator but also for the state and the regulator.” The PCAA warned if airline operators failed to comply with the GCAA regulation­s, it would take sterner action which would include, but not limited to, the withdrawal of permission to operate flights to and from UAE airports. According to the so-called Safety Decision, an isolation area — three rows in the back at least — should be assigned at the back of the aircraft for suspected Covid-19 cases. Cabin crews are mandated to wear face shields or goggles, masks, gloves during service and disposable gowns as minimum requiremen­ts, the guidelines said.

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