Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) issued a travel advisory for visitorsto Saudi Arabia on Saturday and directed passengers to fill the new healthdeclaration form. A notification was issued by PIA’s Flight Servicesdepartment which stated that the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)updated its health disclaimer form for all airlines operating in SaudiArabia amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

The national carrier ordered the staff to distribute the health declarationform onboard the flight to all passengers arriving at the kingdom withimmediate effect. Following the GACA instructions, the passengerstravelling to Saudi Arabia have been asked by the PIA administration tofill and sign the mandatory health declaration form at the airport’s healthcontrol centres.

Earlier on Friday last, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had extended atravel ban on passengers arriving from the United Kingdom (UK) other thanPakistani passport holders and updated its C category for internationaltravel.

The new standard operating procedures (SOPs) had been issued by theDirector Air Transport department of CAA according to which category Cinternational passengers now have to show Covid-19 report upon arrival andthey will undergo another Covid test in Pakistan.

The CAA had added six more countries to the C category list. South Africa,the UK, Portugal, Ireland and Brazil were the new countries included incategory C. It had notified the new categories, A & B, for internationaltravels wherein 23 countries now qualify in the former category which meanspeople travelling to Pakistan from them will not have to take the mandatorypre-boarding Covid test.

China, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Australia are among the A-categorycountries, according to the CAA. However, those coming from countries inthe B travel category will have to make sure a negative Covid PCR report atmaximum of 90 hours prior to boarding.