A spokesperson for PIA revealed that Toronto has finally lifted the ban on incoming Pakistani travelers. The ban was on passenger flights was put in place in the light of the rising Covid19 cases in Pakistan and till now only flights carrying cargo were allowed. Other travel related advisories pertaining to Canada will remain in place.
The flight operations are expected to resume on June 22 and in the first phase, PIA will restart three direct flights per week from Pakistan to Toronto while following strict SOP’s.
PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik has asked the airline officials to tart processing booking and purchase of tickets immediately. Passengers will be asked to present vaccination certificates with a negative test result before travelling. They would also be allowed to utilize old and new tickets subject to meeting terms and conditions of travel.
Talking about the airline’s plans to operate on new routes and resumption of commercial flights to Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK and Canada, PIA’s CEO had said that flights on the Gulf and Saudi Arabian routes were temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 restrictions imposed on airlines by these countries.
He also explained that the airline was in talks with UK authorities to review the suspension of flights to the European nation. British government still followed EU rules, which had been applied before Brexit deal was inked, he said.
Malik further said that PIA was still operating flights to domestic destinations for the national cause though they are not commercially viable at the moment. “The airline is working hard to provide easy access from such cities to the rest of Pakistan and the world”, he added.
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It is important to mention that PIA is the first airline in the world to fly with complete vaccinated crew.
Grateful to the Government of Pakistan for ensuring 100% vaccination for all our PIA employees and their families!#PIA #FlyPIA #GreatPeopleToFlyWith pic.twitter.com/6BIsxBGgVn
— PIA (@Official_PIA) June 17, 2021
“Pakistan International Airlines has become the first Pakistani airline to have a completely safe crew,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik announced in an official statement. PIA is determined to ensure the safety of not only passengers but also its staff, he added.
“PIA considers health and safety of its passengers, crew, and employees as of paramount importance, and this initiative shows our commitment in adhering to global health & safety standards,” CEO Arshad Malik had said earlier.
He added that the national carrier is strictly following all the COVID-19 SOPs to ensure the safety of its passengers. PIA regularly disinfects aircraft is regulated by the concerned quarters.
To encourage people to get vaccinated, PIA also launched a campaign where it offered a 10% percent discount on domestic tickets to people who show their vaccination certificates.