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Merge 104.8 | 06 July 2020
Oman’s Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) has confirmed that it has issued over 2,400 permits for exceptional flights to operate since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic mitigated the closure of airports in the Sultanate.
In addition to cargo flights, a large number of special repatriation flights returning stranded residents to their home countries have operated from Oman since domestic and international flights were halted in March.
While some have been coordinated through the embassies of various countries, others have been operated through standard commercial carriers such as Oman Air and SalamAir.
Most recently, SalamAir has announced five upcoming flights to Pakistan scheduled between July 6-10, while Oman Air operated a flight to Germany yesterday [Sunday, July 5], and has flights to Egypt and Tunisia coming up this week between July 7-10.
The Indian and Pakistani Embassies in Oman continue to operate daily and weekly flights between Oman and their respective nations, repatriating thousands of their nationals since the start of the pandemic. The Philippines also operated its first repatriation flight from Muscat for its citizens on June 20, while Sri Lanka repatriated 290 nationals in its first repatriation departure from Oman on June 28.
In a statement issued online, PACA has also confirmed that it has issued a permit for the operation of a special Oman Air flight between Muscat and Doha, Qatar today [Monday, June 6] to “facilitate the return of doctors and their families returning from Canada.”
(Also read: COVID-19: No plans yet to re-open airports, land borders in Oman, says Minister.)
