De-board passengers not following COVID norms in aircraft: DGCA

New Delhi, Mar 13: Passengers will be de-boarded if they don't wear masks properly inside aircraft or don't follow Covid-19 appropriate behavior, warned The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Saturday.

"If a passenger violates protocol despite repeated warnings then the passenger will be treated as 'unruly passenger', the DGCA guidelines said.

"On board the Aircraft, in case any passenger does not adhere to wearing of mask properly even after repeated warnings, he/she should be de-boarded, if need be, before departure," it added.

The latest directives come against the backdrop of rising number of coronavirus cases in certain parts of the country even as domestic air traffic is improving.

The procedure in respect of handling such unruly passengers will be followed by the airline concerned as per the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), it added. The circular said that the passengers will wear masks and maintain social distancing norms at all times during air travel, adding the mask shall not be moved below the nose except under exceptional circumstances.

Directing the CISF/ police personnel deployed at the entrance of the airport to ensure that no one is allowed to enter the airport without wearing a mask, it said that chief airport security officer and other supervising officers must ensure this personally.

In case any passenger found violating COVID-19 protocols at the airport, they should be handed over to security agencies after proper warnings, directive said.

"If required, they may be dealt as per law," the circular added.