ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has fined Turkish Airlines for failing to observe coronavirus guidelines, Aviation Division spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar told Arab News on Thursday.
The fine of Rs100,000 was imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Wednesday for violation of coronavirus standard operating procedures. Khokhar explained that the Turkish carrier had taken on board a Lahore-bound passenger from Bamako, the capital of Mali, on Oct. 15, without checking his coronavirus report. The passenger was offloaded in Istanbul and was stranded there.
"He helplessly remained at Istanbul airport for six days and (was) finally allowed to travel to Lahore on intervention of the Pakistani mission in Turkey," Khokhar said.
#LISTEN: Abdul Sattar, spokesperson @AviDivPK explains why #Pakistan fined @TurkishAirlines || #Turkey #Coronavirus #COVID19 #Istanbul #Lahore
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Read special by @iSaimaShabbir: https://t.co/v2g3Xn3PTW pic.twitter.com/wrqBVjiYtN— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) October 23, 2020
The Pakistani mission informed the CAA about the incident and the fine was imposed after an investigation.
Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a new travel advisory last week, according to which inbound passengers are divided into two categories. Passengers from category A countries, including China, Japan, New Zealand, Turkey, Saudi Arabia are not obliged to undergo PCR tests for the coronavirus. For passengers from category B countries, such as Mali, coronavirus-negative certificates are mandatory to enter Pakistan.
It was a second incident involving the Turkish carrier within the past seven days. Earlier the airline's staff member was stopped from performing duties at the airline's check-in counter at the Islamabad airport.
“On other incident with a passenger at Islamabad airport earlier this week, we have completed preliminary inquiry which had shown negligence and absent mindedness of the desk staff of the Turkish airline,” Khokhar said, adding that the airline's staff gave the passport and Italian resident card of one passenger to another.
“The passenger claimed that he was slapped but CCTV footage showed that airline official hasn’t slapped him rather he stopped him from filming,” Khokhar added.
Since the airline staff had no right to physically touch a passenger, he been suspended.
“As a result of preliminary inquiry, CAA authority has stopped that person from performing his duty at airport till the final inquiry and decision by high authorities.”
Turkish Airlines officials were not available for comment despite multiple attempts by Arab News.
Last week, Pakistan fined Qatar Airways the same amount for failing to observe health guidelines in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
