KARACHI - Consequent to successful negotiations between PIA administration and Pakistan Airlines Pilots’ Association (PALPA) the operation to airlift Pakistanis stranded in different parts of the world due to COVID-19 crisis, was expected to be resumed with almost immediate affect, said the PIA spokesman here Tuesday.
Talking to this news agency, he said PK 9184 that was to leave for Iraq Tuesday morning with some 54 Iraqi nationals on board and carry back 161 Pakistani stranded in Baghdad had to be postponed due to concerns expressed by PALPA about their safety against the coronavirus.
“The matter now being resolved is expected to help departure of the same flight any time Tuesday evening,” he said mentioning that relief flight operation to bring Pakistani passengers stranded at Malaysia, Thailand and Dubai is also to be executed in next few days time.
To a query, he said PIA, like any other international airline is strictly committed to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) required in any pandemic like situation and that these have been further updated in face of COVID -19.
PIA Chief, Air Marshal was said to have repeatedly assured that safety of pilots and cabin crew will not be compromised under any condition against the pandemic that is but preventable through strict implementation of required precautions, without any failure.
Meanwhile, a PAF C-130 aircraft also reached Karachi Tuesday to transport 13 PIA pilots, who in realization of their duties towards the countrymen and women actively participated in the PIA relief flight operations and brought back their compatriots from Central Asia, the other day.
PIA has also made adequate arrangements to keep in quarantine the passengers being carried back from abroad and is cooperating with the civic administration to ascertain their status against the coronavirus disease through standard set of tests.