Pakistan bans in-flight meals and snacks after COVID-19 upsurge

PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s civil aviation authority on Saturday announced a ban on serving snacks and meals in flights amid a dramatic surge in coronavirus cases across the country fuelled predominantly by the Omicron variant.

The directives came in line with the country’s COVID-19 task force, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which has said that the ban would be effective from January 17.

Passengers disembark off a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft after landing on the tarmac at Najaf International Airport which serves Iraq's central holy shrine city on October 30, 2021 in the first such flight from Pakistan. (Photo by Ali NAJAFI / AFP) (Photo by ALI NAJAFI/AFP via Getty Images)

On Saturday, the NCOC held meetings with various stakeholders to discuss the current coronavirus situation in the country.

After consultations, it directed the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure a complete ban on in-flight snacks and meals, and ensured other standard operating procedures such as wearing masks were implemented at all airports across the country.

The ban on snacks and meals will also apply on public transport from Monday, the NCOC statement said. Pakistan has reported 4,286 cases on Saturday, the highest single-day surge witnessed since August 25, 2021, according to data shared by the Ministry of National Health Services. - GULF TODAY