ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has said it had installed rapid PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing facilities for passengers traveling to the UAE at eight major Pakistani airports.
The UAE lifted a ban on transit passenger traffic from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries on August 5, but requires passengers traveling from these destinations to present negative rapid PCR tests taken no longer than four hours prior to departure. The PCAA had earlier said the country did not have the resources to conduct rapid PCR tests, and only rapid antigen testing (RAT) was currently available at Pakistani airports.
The more expensive PCR test detects the presence of viral RNA and can determine a COVID-19 infection even before the person becomes infectious, allowing for early isolation. The RAT test detects viral proteins, revealing patients at the peak of the infection when the body has the highest concentration of proteins.
“UAE Government has allowed selected categories with additional requirement of PCR Test 48 hours before departure and Rapid PCR 04 hours prior to departure for travel to UAE from Pakistan,” the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement on Monday. “The requirement of Rapid PCR was given due consideration and testing facilities have been installed at eight major Airports i.e. Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad and Sialkot.”
As of August 15, a total of ten UAE-bound flights have operated from Islamabad International Airport carrying 2,050 passengers, eight from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport carrying 1,626 passengers, and fourteen from Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar, carrying 2,561 passengers.
Rapid PCR resting facilities became available at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on August 14 and at the Faisalabad Airport on August 15.
“Till now a total of six flights have been operated from Jinnah International Airport carrying 1,500 passengers and two from Faisalabad Airport carrying 277 passengers,” the CAA said. “Rapid PCR facility at Multan International Airport started on Monday i.e 09-08-2021 and till now 6 flights have been operated carrying 938 passengers.”
Similarly, 15 flights to the UAE had been operated from Sialkot International Airport where rapid PCR testing started on August 9. UAE-bound flights will operate from Quetta from August 18.
“Since the RT-PCR facility has been established at airports nationwide, a total of 63 flights has been operated from 7 Airports with a total of 8,910 RT-PCT tests conducted for UAE bound passengers on airports as per UAE requirements,” the CAA said. “A total of 11,995 passengers have traveled till 15 Aug 2021 including UAE transit passengers.”
