COVID-19: CAA issues clarification on travellers to Egypt

Muscat: The Civil Aviation Authority issues clarification on the arrival of travelers infected with COVID-19 on board the Omam national carrier to Egypt.

The authority said in its statement: "The Civil Aviation Authority followed with great interest what was recently circulated on social media regarding the arrival of passengers to Cairo airport in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt on board one of the national carriers to the Sultanate, and the discovery of some of them being infected with COVID-19 virus."

The authority would like to clarify that Oman applies health and safety protocols to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus to all airlines operating their flights to and from the Sultanate, and that Omani carriers are obligated to ensure that the passengers transported on their flights meet the requirements of entering the country heading to it.

The authority concerned has recently coordinated with their counterparts in the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority regarding the new measures taken by the Egyptian authorities in this regard, and it has been confirmed that all travelers had pre-examination certificates with a negative result before accepting their travel on the flight bound for Cairo Airport.

The requirements for entering some countries - including the Sultanate - include re-examination of all arrivals once they arrive, as the emergence of tests with a positive result is possible due to various health considerations, including the possibility of infection during the period after the pre-examination before travel to the day of arrival.

"On the other hand, during the last period, a number of positive cases were also discovered by travelers coming from Cairo on board Egyptian airlines flights, as the competent authorities in the Sultanate take measures to isolate the infected  in accordance with the health protocols in force in Oman and internationally recognised, and those concerned with the authority continue to coordinate with their counterparts in the Arab Republic of Egypt application of similar procedures for airlines that transport passengers between the two brotherly countries," CAA added.