The Kingdom’s interior ministry says the one-week flight ban may be extended “until medical information about the nature of this virus becomes clear.”
Following the order by Saudi Arabia, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cancelled all flights to the kingdom.
PK-9739 and PK-9760 Multan-Jeddah-Lahore were cancelled. Moreover, flights to Lahore-Jeddah-Lahore, Islamabad-Dammam-Islamabad, Lahore-Dammam-Lahore, Karachi-Madina and Madina-Karachi were also cancelled.
In addition, flights from Lahore to Madina, Madina to Karachi, Madina to Multan and Karachi-Jeddah-Karachi were also cancelled.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan said all flights will be cancelled until flight permits are restored, adding that the affected passengers will be accomodated on flights as soon as they are resumed.
The country’s land and sea ports will also close for a week. The government ordered anyone who has returned from or passed through a European country over the past three months to get tested for Covid-19 immediately.
The Ministry added that the travel suspension will not affect the country’s cargo flights and supply chains.
Saudi Arabia, which has reported about 361,000 cases and 6,122 deaths, began lifting coronavirus lockdowns from May. Officials had not imposed any new restrictions since then, and the country has so far avoided another wave of infections.
