As the country prepares to enter the fourth phase of the lockdown, there are predictions that the government might resume domestic air travel. The predictions were made after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and said that the fourth lockdown will be different from the previous ones.
Giving a hint that the air travel prediction might be true, the Airport Authority of India recently shared some guidelines to be followed by passengers whenever the air travel resumes. The airline industry in India has been in a soup for a long time since the lockdown began, and the recent indication by the AAI has come as a relief to these companies.
In a six-pointer guideline shared by the AAI from its Twitter handle, the authority has asked travelers to mandatorily download the Aarogya Setu app, do a web-check in and carry a print out of their boarding pass before heading to the airport to catch a flight.
The government run-AAI, which manages more than 100 airports across the country, said air travelers must maintain a distance of four feet from co-passengers, wear a mask and other protective gear, wash or sanitize their hands frequently and carry a 350 ml bottle of sanitizer all the time.
Airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad are managed by private companies like GMR Group and not by the AAI.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had said on Wednesday that air travelers would be permitted to take up to 350 ml of hand sanitizer on a flight.
“With the possibility of resumption of domestic flights soon, the AAI has released some steps that must be followed so passengers are fully geared up while traveling,” the government-run body said on Twitter.
“Guidelines to be adhered by all passengers: mandatorily download Aarogya Setu app, wear a mask and other protective gear, maintain 4-feet physical distance from co-passengers, do web-check in, carry a print out of boarding card, wash or sanitize hands frequently, carry a 350 ml bottle of sanitizer all the time and cooperate with airport staff,” it said.
The government-owned Aarogya Setu app gives color coded-designation to users as per their health status and travel history. It helps the user know if he or she is near anyone who has tested positive for the virus.
India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the coronavirus pandemic. The virus has infected more than 81,900 people and killed around 2,600 people in the country till now.
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