Know All Guidelines Released by AAI Following Resumption of Domestic Flights from May 25
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New Delhi, May 21: Following the announcement of the resumption of the domestic flights to begin from May 25, Airport Authority of India (AAI) released on Thursday new standard operating procedures (SOP) rules in order to mitigate the risk of coronavirus during the lockdown.
Union Civil Aviation Minister said that the airport authorities and airlines are also being informed of the resumption to be ready for operations. Moreover, the government has not indicated when international travel will restart.
Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday 25th May 2020.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 20, 2020
All airports & air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from 25th May.
SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by @MoCA_GoI.
On the other hand, the AAI divided the SOP into two parts- Departure and Arrival highlighting pertinent steps that need to be taken by the authorities and the passengers to ensure safe travel.
As per the new guidelines, passengers must compulsorily walkthrough the thermal screening zone before entering the terminal building. Airport operators have also been asked to make appropriate arrangements for sanitization of passengers' baggage before entry into the terminal building.
With domestic air travel resuming from 25th May, 2020 a set of SOPs are released by the Airports Authority of India. Here are the Do's and Don'ts at the airport and while boarding flight. Follow the rules and #StaySafe#IndiaFightsCorona #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/7VTuN3UbwC
— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) May 21, 2020
Departures:
- For commuting to and from the airport, both by staff and passengers, only the personal vehicles or select authorized taxi services /transport services with restricted seating to be permitted.
- AAI makes Aarogya Setu app mandatory for verification by the CISF at the entry point. Passengers who do not show 'green' on the Aasrogya Setu app will not be allowed to enter. Children below the age of 14 are exempted from this. All passengers will be required to wear masks and gloves at the airport.
- Guidelines have also been issued by the airport keeping in mind the hygienic screening of baggage including sanitisation of all luggage before entry into the terminal. The use of trolleys has also been discouraged in the departure and arrival area.
- Passenger seating arrangement shall be done in such a manner to maintain social distancing among passengers using chairs by blocking those seats that are not to be used, with proper markers/tapes.
- Passengers will not be provided meals during the flight, the SOP says, adding passengers will not be permitted to bring their food. A water bottle will be provided onboard the flight. Additionally no sale of merchandise or goods would be permitted onboard. Magazines and newspapers too will be removed.
- All airport staff handling the flight should be provided with Hand sanitizers and all essential Personal Protective Equipment PPE kits such as face masks etc. as per guidelines issued by MOHFW.
- The flyers need to avoid the unnecessary use of lavatories or movement along the aisle and no queuing will be allowed.
- Mats or carpets soaked with bleach - sodium hypochlorite solution - must be placed at the entrance of the terminal building to disinfect shoes.
Arrivals:
- When flights land, To maintain social distancing norms, passengers shall be disembarked in batches sequentially.
- To ensure social distance, the markings like a circle, the square should be provided around the baggage collection carousel for ensuring social distancing.
- Before handing over luggage to passengers, all bags will be sanitised by airport staff before putting them on the conveyer belt.
- All arrival areas would be regularly and thoroughly fumigated and sanitized. Fumigation would be carried out at drop & pickup zones at regular intervals outside the airport as well.
- Hand sanitizers would be made available across the airport at prominent locations. An isolation area will be made available for suspected/ confirmed COVID cases.
- Regular fumigation at taxi pickup and drop off points outside the airport.
- On arrival at the destination airport, passengers will have to adhere to such health protocols prescribed by the states and UTs, the guidelines also said. The passengers may have to quarantine depending on the norms of the state.
The commercial flights were suspended since March 25 due to the COVID-19. All flight operations were halted in March when the government imposed the nation-wide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Cargo flights, medical evacuation flights, offshore helicopter operations, and special flights were being operated during the lockdown period.