A special plane carrying 175 American citizens, nine diplomats and ten pets took off from Islamabad early Friday.

The plane earlier landed at Karachi Airport and picked up 135 passengers including 16 diplomats. It then landed at Islamabad International Airport where the remaining passengers and diplomats boarded the plane.

The plane arrived from Cairo at the Karachi airport to airlift the US citizens including members of the US embassy in Pakistan.

The flight MSR-3200 was allowed to land at the airport on special permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

According to the airport manager, the US citizens underwent coronavirus screening process at the airport while their baggage was also sanitized to ensure that they do not carry any virus particles along with them.

Yesterday, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released an advisory for the special plane of US Embassy which will land in Karachi and Islamabad to transport 135 persons including US and British diplomats.

Three British diplomats will also depart from Pakistan through the chartered flight.

According to the advisory, no one will be allowed to enter the terminal’s buildings of the airports in Karachi and Islamabad to see off the passengers except diplomatic staff members.

The aviation authority also permitted the diplomatic staff to establish a separate counter to assist the departing passengers. Upon the arrival of the special plane, no one including crew members will be allowed to come out of the chartered flight.