E-Paper
12 flights to resume from Patna airport today
PATNA:
PATNA:
After almost two months of suspension of air operations due to Covid-19 induced lockdown, 12 flights from Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport will be operational from Monday.
Indigo , Spice Jet and Air India will be resuming their flights from Patna Airport to Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.
In total 16 flight landings and take offs have been permitted to operate from May 25. However, GoAir has not started the booking as it is seeking clarifications from states about the readiness of airports with regard to arrival of flights and the guidelines for passengers entering their respective states.
“On receiving clarity, GoAir wll open its site for booking from May 25 till May 31,” a statement from the private airline said.
More importantly, the uncertainty over flights coming from Mumbai to Patna got a bit clear on Sunday evening after the Maharashtra government allowed 25 landings and take offs from the commercial capital city after much deliberations on the issue due to the rise in number of Covid-19 cases in the state. The first flight to arrive Patna on Monday would be from Mumbai. “ The Indigo flight would reach here in the morning. There is no information of any re scheduling,” said a senior officer of the airline.
Patna airport director BCH Negi said that arrangements have been made for handling any symptomatic passenger. “ There is no quarantine requirement for passengers arriving to Patna. All passengers would undergo temperature check before entering the terminal and also thermal screening would be done of passengers on arrival. Emphasis is on contactless travel, maintaining social distance and sanitisation. All airlines have prepared their staff for following the new guidelines issued by the ministry of civil aviation.”
On Sunday, the Patna airport authorities and district administration officials made inspections for resumption of air travel. The passengers will have to arrive four hours before the flight and baggage checking counters of all airlines will be closed one hour before the flight departure . It will be mandatory for the passengers to have Aarogya Setu app downloaded in their mobile phones and masks, gloves are mandatory.
Patna divisional commissioner Sanjay Agarwal has given detailed instructions to the airport director BCH Negi to ensure that social distancing norms are followed. “ The air ticket of passengers would be treated as a vehicle pass from their homes to the airport. Besides, there will be adequate number of cabs, e-rickshaws , autos at the airport premises for ferrying passengers back home,” said Agarwal.
