PIA resumes flights to Saudi Arabia as entry ban lifted

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Sunday announced a resumption in its regular passenger flights to Saudi Arabia, after the kingdom said entry to the kingdom by sea, land and air would be resumed.
Two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia placed an entry ban amid fears of a new coronavirus variant in the United Kingdom.
It lifted the ban on Sunday but ministry of interior officials told media some restrictions would remain in place, including asking people coming from countries where the new variant spread such as the UK, South Africa and any others, to stay at least 14 days out of these countries before entering the kingdom.
“From today, passengers on all PIA flights will be able to travel to Saudi Arabia,” PIA said in a statement. “To activate new bookings and old bookings on flights, contact the passenger call center or offices immediately.”
Taking a coronavirus test was mandatory for all passengers flying to Saudi Arabia, the statement added.
At the end of last year, a new variant of the coronavirus was found to be spreading rapidly in Britain, prompting high levels of concern among its European neighbors, some of which have cut transport links.
A slew of countries around the world also closed their borders to Britain, causing travel chaos.
Pakistan, India, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, Jordan and Hong Kong suspended travel for Britons after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a mutated variant of the virus, up to 70% more transmissible, had been identified in the country. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman also closed their borders completely.
Several other nations have suspended travel from Britain including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Israel and Canada — although scientists said the strain may already be circulating in countries with less advanced detection methods than the United Kingdom.

PIA resumes flights to Saudi Arabia as entry ban lifted