DUBAI: More than a hundred Pakistanis reached homeland on a special flight Tuesday morning, after they found themselves stranded in the United Arab Emirates, when amid the coronavirus outbreak Pakistan suspended inbound air traffic.
According to Ahmed Amjad Ali, Pakistan’s consul general in Dubai, nationals stuck at UAE airports after Pakistan halted international flights on Saturday were given first priority in the special homecoming process, as 101 passengers were sent on a FlyDubai flight — 73 of them from the Dubai airport, five from Abu Dhabi, and 26 from Dubai city.
Pakistani nationals who were stranded in the UAE are walking toward their boarding gate at Dubai International Airport to depart for Islamabad on March 23, 2020. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai)
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis told Arab News on Monday that 150 nationals were stranded at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports. Another 72 nationals stuck in Qatar are also expected to reach Pakistan on Tuesday.
Preparations for the arrivals in Islamabad International Airport were overseen by the prime minister’s special assistant for overseas Pakistanis, Syed Zulfi Bukhari.
Pakistani nationals are walking through Dubai International Airport to leave on a special flight to Islamabad on March 23, 2020. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai)
The passengers will be subject to strict health screening, as advised by the Ministry of Health, Pakistan’s Aviation Division said in a statement.
Abbas Raza Dar, AirBlue senior manager for UAE, told Arab News that all 47 weekly flights of the low-cost airline have been canceled. “The notification is for two weeks and could be extended, since the situation is changing.”
He also said the airline was not charging any fee to change the travel dates of its passengers. “A full refund is being given to those who ask, and we are also changing the dates for other passengers who ask for it,” he added.
Emirates airline has also canceled all of its 58 weekly Pakistan flights.
A spokesperson of the Pakistani Consulate General in Dubai said hotlines and social media channels have been set up to guide people on whatever kind of assistance they may need.
“We have been getting mostly travel and visa-related calls and we are offering advice as per the situation. Others are concerned about collection of their NICs (national identity cards), for which we are encouraging people to apply online and limit their visit to the consulate,” the spokesperson said.
