Domestic travel: Flight schedule would be made available for each airline after DGCA draws up plan

Online bookings for air tickets for domestic flights are likely to start from Thursday evening, as the government plans to resume air traffic from May 25, which was suspended since the nationwide lockdown restrictions came into effect from March 25 to contain the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak

A senior official from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on condition of anonymity that a flight schedule would be made available for each domestic carrier after the regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), draws up the plan of the routes that would be allowed to operate initially. The government plans to resume domestic travel in a phased manner from May 25 because of the pandemic.

The ministry has fixed the maximum and minimum cap for airfares. For example, the lowest fare for a Delhi-Mumbai flight will be Rs3,500 and the highest at Rs10,000. And, 40% of seats on a flight have to be sold at the mid-point of this band, which works out to Rs6,700. This fare will be applicable till 11.59 pm on August 24.

“Airlines will decide on the frequency of the flights depending on the demand after the schedule is made available,” said a private airline official.

The MoCA has urged senior citizens and pregnant women to avoid travelling because of the viral outbreak.

The ministry guidelines stipulated that passengers would have to report to an airport two hours before their flight is set to depart, and only those passengers, who have checked-in online, would be allowed to enter the airport terminal building with only one check-in bag and one hand baggage of a specified size.

No passenger staying in a containment zone or who tested Covid-19 positive or have not been permitted to fly should not travel or else that person would be penalised, it added.

A passenger needs to give a self-declaration by using the Aarogya Setu mobile application to show that h/she doesn’t have any Covid-19 symptoms. Passengers with “red” status in the app won’t be permitted to travel. Passengers must compulsorily wear face masks and airline crew members have been instructed to use personal protective equipment (PPE) kit. Airlines will not be allowed to serve meals on flights, newspapers, and magazines are also barred.

The ministry has asked air passengers to wear face masks throughout their journey and carry minimum baggage, as few trolleys will be available. Passengers have been asked to complete the check-in and baggage drop process at least an hour prior to their flight departs.

A passenger, who doesn’t have Aarogya Setu application on his mobile phone, will be guided to a dedicated counter at the airport to download the app. Then, the passenger has to go to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) counter at the security checkpoint.

The SOP for an air passenger states that after entering the terminal, the flier will have to download the baggage tag/baggage identification number, print it, and affix it on the bag at a prominent place. “In case the passenger is not able to print the baggage tag, then he/she should mention the PNR number and his/her name on a thick piece of paper and affix it/tag it with a strong string,” the SOP added.

All biohazards will have to be disposed of in yellow bins at airports and social distancing norms must be strictly followed in the food and beverage (F&B) and retail sections. Hand sanitisers will be made available at all prominent places at airports.

Passengers will have to wait in the baggage hold area until their baggage arrives in batches. Transit passengers will be allowed only in the transit hold area.

The ministry has directed airlines to inform the passengers that only web check-in is allowed. All passengers’ body temperatures will be measured at airports during entry and before boarding a flight. Crew members also need to undergo frequent and random health check-ups. An aircraft has to be vigorously disinfected after every flight, it added.

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