RAWALPINDI: Due to revised Covid-19 guidelines issued by the United Arab Emirates, a significant number of passengers travelling from Pakistan to Dubai have been denied boarding from Pakis­tan for not having negative rapid PCR test conducted within four hours before departure of flights.

The negative rapid PCR test conducted within four hours prior to departure of a flight for Dubai has been made mandatory by the UAE authorities. However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan says that they don’t have the facility of rapid PCR test at any international airport of the country.

In a press release issued on Friday, a spokesman for the CAA said that the stipulation had been mandated by UAE Authorities without any advance information to the CAA or any other stakeholder.

He said that the CAA had immediately engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up the matter with the UAE authorities thro­ugh diplomatic channels for arriving at a solution to ease the diffic­u­lties being faced by the travellers.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2021