Hardeep Singh Puri, the Civil Aviation Minister of India two days back tweeted that flights will be resumed from May 25. Flight bookings have already started from Thursday. Airports Authority of India (AAI) recently disclosed the standard operating procedure (SOP) for passengers seeking to board a flight in the near future. One mandatory rule that passengers must follow is the installation of Aarogya Setu app in their smartphones. But that rule is an exception for children below age 14 years. But for the rest of the people, the app must be there and it should reflect green status for the individual. Passengers for whom the app doesn’t reflect green signal, they are not going to be allowed to travel.
Masks and Gloves Mandatory for Passengers
Passengers entering the airport and boarding flights must be wearing face masks and gloves. Along with this, every passenger will have to go through thermal screening both while entering and exiting the airport. Airport operators will make the necessary arrangement to sanitise the passengers baggage before they enter the terminal. CISF will be very strict in maintaining social distancing so ensure that you follow all the rules to be out of their radar. Airports will only allow personal vehicles and authorised taxis to enter through. AAI has asked the CISF and the traffic police to ensure that congestion should be avoided in parking areas.
Reach the Airport Two Hours Before Your Scheduled Flight
AAI has said that passengers must reach the airport two hours before their scheduled flight so that all the safety procedures can be carried out in time. At the same time, passengers who have departure in the next four hours will only be allowed to enter the airport building. CISF won’t be stamping the boarding passes anymore and the passenger must carry a printed form of the ticket with them to the airport. Ensure that you are familiar with the latest baggage rules of the airline you are boarding your flight with. Familiarise yourself with all the social distancing norms there are and enter the airport fully prepared. Only 1/3rd of the flights will be flying initially to ensure that airports don’t become too crowded. Also, passengers must download the baggage identification number or baggage tag. Airlines are not allowed to provide meals in the air, so keep your stomach sufficiently full before you board the plane and also minimise the use of lavatories. Per customer, only one check-in bag is allowed.
