Masks, sanitizers and Aarogya Setu app compulsory: Airport Authority of India
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No passenger without masks, gloves and hand sanitizer will be permitted to enter the airport premises.
As the nation starts lockdown 4.0 from Monday, announcements on resuming of domestic air travel are still awaited.
Keeping that possibility in mind, Airport Authority of India (AAI) has issued a brief guideline on Friday for passengers who will be travelling once the flights resume.
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With the possibility of resumption of domestic flights soon, #AAI has released some steps that must be followed so passengers are fully geared up while travelling. Wear a mask, carry a hand sanitizer, keep docs handy & register on #AarogyaSetuApp. #AAICares pic.twitter.com/N6ooZIoOsc
— Airports Authority of India (@AAI_Official) May 15, 2020
As per the guidelines, the first thing to take care of for passengers is the compulsory registration on Aarogya Setu app. Every passenger will have to download and register on the app, as it will help the authorities determine if the passenger is travelling from a green zone or a red zone.
Wearing masks and carrying a hand sanitizer will be compulsory. No passenger without masks, gloves and hand sanitizer will be permitted to enter the airport premises. Hand sanitizers, which were earlier not permitted in cabin baggage, have now been allowed upto 350ml.
Since sanitizing hands frequently is one of the measures against #COVID19 virus, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has allowed passengers boarding an aircraft to carry hand sanitizer up to 350ml in their cabin baggage. This is to be implemented with immediate effect. #AAI pic.twitter.com/pYKXjfLMxT
— Airports Authority of India (@AAI_Official) May 14, 2020
All passengers will only be able to book tickets through online or telephonic portals. Passengers will also have to do a web check-in and carry a printed version of their boarding pass. There will be no stamping of boarding passes too, till further notice. This will help the authorities reduce physical contact, thus limiting the spread of the coronavirus.
Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had issued standard operating procedure (SOP) for all airlines and airport operators. This set of guidelines has followed that first draft.
Air India, in the meanwhile, has been bringing back Indian nationals stuck abroad in the biggest repatriation operation of the country, called Vande Bharat mission.
Indian Railways, too, resumed special 25 trains to help domestic travellers return back to their hometown. Railways is also operating 'shramik trains' for migrant workers who had been stuck away from home due to the nationwide lockdown.