Pakistan has fined Turkish Airlines for violating the health protocols devised to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

According to the details,  the Civil Aviation Authority imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on Turkish Airlines for violation of coronavirus standard operating procedures.

Spokesperson CAA, Abdul Sattar Khokhar said that the Turkish carrier had taken on board a Lahore-bound passenger from Bamako, the capital of Mali, on Oct. 15, without checking his coronavirus report. The passenger was offloaded in Istanbul and was stranded there.

“He helplessly remained at Istanbul airport for six days and (was) finally allowed to travel to Lahore on the intervention of the Pakistani mission in Turkey,” Khokhar said.

“On another incident with a passenger at Islamabad airport earlier this week, we have completed preliminary inquiry which had shown negligence and absent-mindedness of the desk staff of the Turkish airline,” Khokhar said, adding that the airline’s staff gave the passport and Italian resident card of one passenger to another.

“The passenger claimed that he was slapped but CCTV footage showed that airline official hasn’t slapped him rather he stopped him from filming,” Khokhar added. Since the airline staff had no right to physically touch a passenger, he has been suspended.

Travel advisory

Let it be known that the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a new travel advisory last week, according to which inbound passengers are divided into two categories.

Passengers from category A countries, including China, Japan, New Zealand, Turkey, Saudi Arabia are not obliged to undergo PCR tests for the coronavirus.

For passengers from category B countries, such as Mali, coronavirus-negative certificates are mandatory to enter Pakistan.

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