Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority has made it mandatory for passengers boarding flights in the Kingdom to have the coronavirus (“Tawakkalna”) app on their mobile phones.

In this regard, the president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Abdulaziz Al-Duaij has sent directives to all national airline companies operating in the Kingdom to urgently link the data for passengers’ flights with the passenger’s health condition on the “Tawakkalna” app and to restrict the issuance of boarding passes only to passengers whose health condition on the app is mentioned as “immunized” or “affliction with COVID-19 not proven.

The GACA chief has communicated with Minster of Health Tawfiq Al-Rabiah about the move, which has come into effect on Thursday (April 22).

Al-Duaij has also asked all airline companies to grant passengers who have booked via the computerized booking system the facility to receive SMS text messages on cancellation of their bookings if their health condition has been proven to be different from the required health conditions.

Meanwhile, GACA is working in cooperation with the security authorities in intensifying inspection and supervision rounds and visits to the airports, GACA buildings, installations, and facilities to detect violators of the precautionary measures. It has also introduced screening points for measuring body temperatures or check the “Tawakkalna” app and appointing a “protocol” officer in every facility and over 250 supervisors to monitor and follow up the implementation of the precautionary measures.

In addition, the awareness and educational text messages have been increased in all the GACA buildings, airports and facilities. The aviation authority has also asked all companies and shopping centers in the airports to comply with precautionary and preventive health measures.

GACA is implementing all the precautionary measures in the Kingdom’s airports to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), in coordination with the Ministry of Health. In this regard, it has carried out a package of measures in preparation for implementing all health measures, including the highest precaution and prevention levels, in line with the safety requirements and World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and standards.