Passenger offloaded over Covid-19 symptoms
Owing to the strict novel coronavirus (Covid-19) requirements stipulated by different countries, at least one passenger was offloaded from an aircraft while as many as 37 were stopped from boarding on Monday.
Subsequently, the passengers staged a protest at the airport.
Officials at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on Monday said that they were checking-in passengers in the international departure lounge for a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Dubai, PK-212. Of the 110 passengers who showed up, around 37 passengers either lacked negative test certificates from the designated testing service or had failed to fulfil the travel standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by the UAE government.
These passengers were stopped from boarding.
At this, the passengers staged a vociferous protest.
However, airline officials and Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel explained to the passengers that the airlines have designated the testing service and that only certificates from these services are acceptable.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2020.