How airports and airlines will operate once the lockdown is lifted

New Delhi, Apr 25: Operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi may soon resume restrictions with several restrictions and curbs in place.

Face masks would be mandatory for travellers and crew and there would be no queues for security clearance. The use of in-flight lavatories would remain restricted while no meals would be served on flights.

These rules have been recommended by the stakeholders to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

This would ideally mean that flight operations would take some time to resume. The ministry has made it clear that there has been no decision taken as yet with regard to flight travel. It has also told the airlines not to take any bookings until a decision is taken.

However, the Delhi airport operator came out with a plan along with the CISF, which handles security and the various airlines on how the airport should operate once the curbs are lifted. There would be mandatory social distancing and high levels of sanitisation, the plan also states.

When a passenger arrives at the airport, a body screening for temperature would be undertaken. Persons with symptoms of flu will not be allowed into the terminal building. Those without face masks will also not be allowed. Further, there would be no queueing at the security check and passengers would be divided into batches with the help of the airline staff.

The seats would be adequately separated from each other to ensure social distancing. The passengers would have to remain seated until they are called in for a security check.

Touch-free frisking would be carried out with metal detectors and a safe distance from the passenger would be maintained.

GoAir had said that all in-flight sales of meals and beverages will remain suspended until further notice. There will be no meals or snack services to ensure that there is minimal interaction between the crew and passenger. There would also be in-house announcements to minimise the use of lavatories, and also to avoid any non-essential movement in the aisle.

IndiGo, on the other hand, said that it would begin domestic and international travel gradually. We will be discontinuing the onboard meal services and onboard duty-free sales. To maintain social distancing, the capacity of the airport buses will be reduced to 50 per cent. Boarding will be allowed in a staggered manner.