Passengers barred from travelling to Dubai
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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
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Comments (28) Closed
Aug 07, 2021 10:39am
It was clear since last 2 months, pcr facilities at airports had to be put in place and three airports in India were equipped in advance for that. What does CAA mean when they say that they were not notified in advance? Were they sleeping when all this fiasco of pakistan airline suspension was going on? The blame for this will directly go to PMIK who claims to have lived abroad for over 20 years and today the overseas pakistanis are in trouble. Then they ask for remittances. Really frustrating
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Aug 07, 2021 10:40am
4 hours prior to boarding is total non-sense. 3 days should be enough
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Aug 07, 2021 11:12am
4 hours Prior Boarding rapid pcr Test is not even available in most European countries.
UAE and its Airline is doing its best to make the Air travel as hard as possible for passengers.
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Aug 07, 2021 11:20am
UAE Should ban travel to and from Pakistan instead of playing stupid games.
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Aug 07, 2021 11:30am
Simple. DO NOT go to Dubai. Boycott.
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Aug 07, 2021 11:58am
@sfomann, the rapid antigen test that dubai authorities are asking for takes hardly 10 minutes./..CAA like always has been sleeping
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Aug 07, 2021 12:09pm
Labs take 24 hrs at least FOR PCR. Decision makers are failure.
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Aug 07, 2021 12:13pm
PCR test, 4 hours before the flight??
But you are supposed to be at the airport at least 2 hours before flight?
Where in the world would any test center produce a PCR report immediately after the test is conducted - except at a steep premium price and even then cause great stress and inconvenience to the traveler - who probably is traveling for a compelling reasons under the circumstances.
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Aug 07, 2021 12:17pm
Folks, I kid you not. These policies adopted by UAE are simply designed to discourage travelers from Pakistan by making the conditions for visa, entry and boarding of flight so tough that will make you spend an arm and a leg.
Imagine even if a PCR test and report within 4 hours of flight was even possible. If you or even one person in your group or family traveling together, tests negative, you will be forced to cancel your plans and seek refund - but after paying hefty penalty. Shame on UAE.
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Aug 07, 2021 12:37pm
Better safe than sorry to save precious human lives due to the rapidly expanding, fleetingly growing, fastly penetrating, ever increasing and almost unstoppable deadly Indian Delta-variant of Covid-19, causing wide spread havoc, infections, deaths, devastations and destruction all over the world.
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Aug 07, 2021 01:02pm
UAE doesn't want us to go there. Simply. Useless excuses. Why Pakistani COVID Carrier is dangerous while European COVID Carriers are not dangerous?
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Aug 07, 2021 01:07pm
@zeeshdxb, But this is the most ridiculous request any country has requested.
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Aug 07, 2021 01:08pm
It has never been demanded by any country in the world to have 2 tests simultaneously (1Test in 48hrs & another in 4 hours of flight & on top of that it should be conducted within the airport premises) other than the uae; it is simply ridiculous.
Make it simply clear whether to have passengers from Pak or now.
Moreover the approval system from ICA isn't working either; despite submissions of multiple applications there isn't any email confirmation nor the application number is being generated
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Aug 07, 2021 01:08pm
@jaredlee007, Yes they are playing full time foolish games. I have been stranded to board for America since last two weeks.
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Aug 07, 2021 01:11pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Yes and UAE govt. ever changing stance on barring flight.
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Aug 07, 2021 01:15pm
Aviation Minister needs to be FIRED and DG CAA needs to WAKE UP as this rule is in place for many countries not just Pakistan. They are doing us a favour to allow flights from Pakistan and instead of fulfilling requirements by making rapid PCR testing available at the airport CAA is making excuses.
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Aug 07, 2021 01:37pm
@sfomann, "4 hours prior to boarding is total non-sense. 3 days should be enough"
Many airports in India are doing this since last 2 months. It shouldn't have come as a surprise. World has moved on.
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Aug 07, 2021 01:41pm
People commenting without any background knowledge as usual. The rapid test hardly takes less than 10 minutes and is now being used extensively at airports and even businesses around the world. The test can be taken easily at any airport, however, given that this is Pakistan and the facility will be managed by CAA, it will be a disaster.
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Aug 07, 2021 01:44pm
Covid-19 test 4 hour prior to departure is total nonsense. The 24-hour time period is more reasonable.
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Aug 07, 2021 05:01pm
@zeeshdxb, why blame PMIK? its a CAA fiasco. You must be a PMLN diehard who lives by the slogan "khata thaa tu lagata bhi tu thaa"..
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Aug 07, 2021 05:02pm
@Sami, UAE is finally happy and over the moon that UK has put them in amber list.
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Aug 07, 2021 05:39pm
@zeeshdxb,
"It was clear since last 2 months, pcr facilities at airports had to be put in place and three airports in India were equipped in advance for that."
India had very different covid problems including the birthplace of Delta variant, so it is possible they were doing this internally as precaution. Also Pakistan flights were banned and only just opened, hence no action taken in this regard. Should take a holistic and not a narrow view of the situation.
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Aug 07, 2021 05:59pm
@S ALI, actually that's a common procedure in lot of countries. Negative pcr test prior departure and another negative antigen test on arrival which holds validity merely for hours. Only new here is the responsibility/cost of antigen test is placed on pakistan instead of destination. However, CAA should have had such facility in place for the arrivals to keep our population and cities free from infection. No excuse of why we don't have it at all at any airport!!
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Aug 07, 2021 06:07pm
Rapid antigen test can actually be turned around with in 20 mins but the kits are very expensive at times faulty and chances of false positives are way higher. The test is highly inaccurate way to test for COVID.. If UAE is so scared they should just lessen the PCR test from 72 hour window to 48 hours but this new requirement is not only logistically impossible but outright unfair practice..
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Aug 07, 2021 07:29pm
@Tamza, that would be easy for you...not for everyone
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Aug 07, 2021 08:44pm
Muslim brother UAE does not like Pakistani brothers.
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Aug 07, 2021 09:22pm
UAE's decision of having 4hrs PCR test is nonsense and rubbish. What they are trying to prove???
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Aug 08, 2021 07:23am
This is the requiremenr spelled out 2 months ago
All.indian international.airports had been equipped with rapid test
Our Gov and CAA are to be blamed
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