Turkish Airlines to require negative PCR tests from December 30

Turkish Airlines will begin requiring passengers on overseas flights to submit negative PCR tests as of December 30, the national flag carrier announced late on Saturday.

According to a statement posted on the company’s official social media accounts, passengers failing to submit a negative PCR test will not be allowed to board the flight, Turkish Airlines noted. The obligation will be applied to passengers over six years old and will remain in place until March 1.

On Friday, Turkish Airlines had announced that the procedure would begin on December 28.

Later on Friday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said authorities would start requiring air, land, and sea passengers arriving in Turkey from abroad to submit negative PCR Covid-19 test results sampled a maximum of 72 hours prior to their flight as of December 30.

Koca said the new measures were needed for international arrivals in Turkey due to the global rise in case numbers and the pandemic’s acceleration.

Late last Sunday, Turkey temporarily banned flights from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, and South Africa due to a fast-spreading new coronavirus strain.