CAA Warns Airlines Against Overcharging for PCR Tests at Airports

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has taken notice of reports which claimed that airlines are overcharging UAE-bound travelers for conducting rapid PCR tests at the airports.

In an official statement, CAA said that no airline is allowed to charge more than Rs. 5,000 from a passenger for rapid PCR tests within the premises of all airports in the country.

Managers of all airports are hereby ordered to ensure all airlines strictly comply with the said directive. In case airlines refuse to accept the fixed fee for rapid PCR tests, CAA will launch legal action against them, the statement added.

Last month, the UAE government allowed vaccinated travelers from Pakistan and five other countries to enter the country from 5 August. It also made a negative PCR test conducted a couple of hours before departure from a testing facility inside the airports’ premises mandatory.

However, on 6 August, hundreds of UAE-bound Pakistani travelers were denied boarding passes because of the non-availability of the PCR test facilities within the premises of the country’s airports.

A few days later, CAA launched the PCR test service to facilitate outbound travelers, allowing 15 laboratories to set up test counters at all international airports of the country.