RAWALPINDI: In order to contain the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak in the country, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has directed its officials to strictly implement the Standard Operating Proce­dures (SOPs) formulated for passengers and operators of charter and private flights.

This time the PCAA has decided that pilots will make an announcement twice or thrice during the flight in both English and Urdu about the issues involved.

“Assalam-o-Alaikum. This is the captain of the aircraft. In view of spread of Covid-19, all passengers are required to ensure wearing of masks throughout the air travel. Non-compliance will result in initiation of legal actions against violators at the time of disembarkation. Thank you,” reads the text of an announcement drafted for the purpose.

When a senior official of the Pakistan International Airlines was asked whether the pilots or cabin crew members had been following the fresh SOPs regarding making announcements to ensure wearing of masks throughout the air travel, he said: “Sometime the new SOPs are followed and sometimes ignored.”

He said about “90 per cent of the cabin crew members don’t bother to ask passengers to wear masks or any other things”.

Airports in Pakistan had started following SOPs for Covid-19 after the government announced measures for controlling the spread of the virus in the country.

Last month, the Aviation Division constituted a seven-member committee, comprising officials from the PCAA, airlines and the Air­port Security Force (ASF) to ensure implementation of SOPs to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at airports.

The committee members were directed to ensure compliance of SOPs at each airport and take administrative action against the management in case any violations were observed.

The government had taken notice of SOP violations by a foreign airliner that took onboard a passenger who had tested positive for Covid-19 hence putting the health of other passengers along with airport personnel in danger. The PCAA had imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on the airline.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2020