Biman Bangladesh Airlines has planned to resume flight operations to Saudi Arabia from May 29, after nine days of flight suspension on this route.
However, the Kingdom of Bahrain has decided to ban the entry of travelers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal from Monday (yesterday), as per reports of the country’s state-run news agency BNA.
Saudi authorities imposed several tough provisions for respective airlines and passengers including the requirement of a medical insurance which covers the risk of Covid-19 and the treatment of passengers.
Booking at hotels are to be designated by Saudi authorities in order to stay in institutional quarantine for at least seven days.
The decision to ban, however, was taken after the countries were rated in Bahrain’s ‘red list’. The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported this citing a circular issued by the country’s Civil Aviation Affairs authorities on Sunday.
Red list countries were set based on an assessment made by the country’s National Medical Taskforce for combating the Coronavirus. Hence, travelers from the aforementioned countries will be barred from entering the kingdom.
The report stated that in line with the Government Executive Committee directives and based on the recommendations of the National Medical Taskforce for combating the Coronavirus, the Civil Aviation Affairs authorities announced the suspension of entry for travelers from red list countries, namely, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, on all flights starting Monday, May 24.
However, citizens from Bahrain and residency visa holders do not fall under the suspension, but will have to provide with a PCR test before boarding a plane and quarantine for ten days upon arrival, according to the report.
Passengers arriving from the countries not in the red list are not obliged to quarantine and PCR tests if they are vaccinated and hold a Bahrain issued vaccination certificate. A certificate issued by a country whose vaccination certificate is approved by authorities in Bahrain would also be eligible in this matter.
Passengers with vaccination certificates issued by the United States of America, the United Kingdom, a member state of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan or Singapore will also be exempted from quarantine rules.
