The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has asked the companies interested in winning the contracts for building a modern air traffic control (ATC) tower and a fire station at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport to submit their applications by September 28, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

CAA wants to build a new ATC tower and a fire station in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation as the tower already existing at the airport is 50 years old now. Besides that due to its less height, it is becoming increasingly difficult to regulate air traffic from it.

Hence the Authority wants the new tower to be over 125-feet high so that the movements of planes could be monitored from there in order to save them from any mishap. The new tower is also expected to help planes land safely on the runways.

On the other hand, the CAA has issued a new travel advisory for passengers in view of the coronavirus pandemic according to which they will have to get themselves vaccinated before October 1 or otherwise they will not be allowed to board any flight; domestic or international. However, patients and passengers who are under 17 are exempted from the advisory.

However, the passengers who are sick will have to show to the authorities medical certificates signed by doctors in order to avail of the exemption.

The advisory clearly states that people aged 17 and above will not be allowed to board the plane after October 1 in case they fail to produce their vaccination certificates.

Under the new instructions, passengers will have to undergo corona PCR tests 72 hours before the start of their journey.

Reporter Saeed Ahmad Saeed