India has resumed its domestic passenger flights resumed on Monday except Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Indigo’s Delhi-Pune and Mumbai-Patna flights were among the first to take off. Different states have released their own set of rules and regulations to control the spread of COVID-19.
On Sunday evening, Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted: “It has been a long day of hard negotiations with various state govts to recommence civil aviation operations in the country. Except Andhra Pradesh which will start on 26/5 & West Bengal on 28/5, domestic flights will recommence across the country from tomorrow.”
It has been a long day of hard negotiations with various state govts to recommence civil aviation operations in the country.
Except Andhra Pradesh which will start on 26/5 & West Bengal on 28/5, domestic flights will recommence across the country from tomorrow.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 24, 2020
Various states have also put in place protocols for incoming air travelers.
Here are Delhi Government guidelines for air travel:
- Installation of Aarogya Setu has been made mandatory and only passengers with green status on the app are allowed to travel.
- On reaching Delhi airport, arriving passengers will be subject to a meeting with a team of medical personnel – one team each at every gate of exit on arrival side.
- While boarding the flight to Delhi, a person who displays symptoms will not be allowed on the flight.
- Passengers must undergo thermal scanning. Asymptomatic need not have more than the thermal scan. Those displaying symptoms may have to go for quarantine or testing, as required. Only medical authorities will decide the protocol of treatment for a person showing symptoms and being suspected of being affected by COVID-19.
- Once the flight lands into Delhi, and if your final destination is in Delhi state, the government will not send passengers landing in the city to quarantine. However, in the case of Noida, a decision from the Uttar Pradesh state government on the same has yet to be received.
- Should a traveller manifest the symptoms during the length of the flight, the in-flight crew will inform the airport authorities (who will then hand over the case to medical officials on the landing of the aircraft).
- The person will be either sent to a COVID-19 care centre (if symptoms are severe) or home and be asked to take a Covid-19 test.
The total number of coronavirus cases in India surged to 145,380 Maharashtra witnessed a slight decline in daily COVID-19 count on Monday. Tamil Nadu saw reported over 800 in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day spike so far in the state. India recorded 146 deaths due to coronavirus infection taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths to 4,167.
