IT Correspondent
Mumbai, May 16:
As India prepares to enter the fourth phase of lockdown, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on Saturday issued six-pointers guidelines, indicating the resumption of domestic flights operation in the country.
The guidelines laid down the rules one needs to follow while choosing to travel by air, stipulating, Aarogya Setu app, wearing a mask, and maintaining a physical distance of four feet from a co-passenger.
Taking to Twitter, AAI said ‘’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 documents handy & register on #AarogyaSetuApp. #AAICares.’’
In the guidelines, AAI also asked people to wash and sanitize their hands frequently and cooperate with the airport staff during this tough and critical time. An air traveller will also have to do web check-in and carry a printout of the boarding card.
Also, the post COVID-19 lockdown opening of air travel, will also see passengers not having to get their boarding cards stamped by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) , which looks after security at airports around the country. A passenger will also be allowed to carry liquid hand sanitisers up to 350 ml.
AAI looks after the development and maintenance of the airports across the country and reports to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. The domestic and international flight operations were suspended in March, to contain the spread of the COVID-19. However, the government is now mulling to resume the domestic flight operations with certain restrictions.
While the government is said to be open to allowing flights between two cities which are termed as green zones, the industry is not too keen on this as it feels that such flights will not be a viable proposition for the airlines. Before the lockdown came into force, Delhi and Mumbai were the two airports which handled the maximum number of passenger traffic domestically. With both these cities being in the red zone, it is not clear as to how flights will operate between these two metros.
