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Secondary temperature check, same pilot and crew: All you need to know about new rules for flying
Passenger ID checks will also not be required so as to minimise the crowds at terminal gates, according to the new guidelines.
The government is preparing guidelines for air passenger service, which is set to resume in the country soon. The service has been suspended since March 25 because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Among the proposals being considered by the government are barring the cabine luggage and passengers above 80 years not to be allowed.
Here is all you need to know about the news guidelines being formed by the government before it resumes flight services.
• The draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) proposed by the civil aviation ministry have done away with the rule of keeping the middle seats vacant in compliance with social distancing norms.
• Passenger ID checks will also not be required so as to minimise the crowds at terminal gates.
• The rules make it compulsory for all passengers to arrive at the airport only after completing their web check-in at home. The reporting time for travellers at the airport is proposed to be increased by two hours.
• Only passengers whose flights are scheduled to depart in the next six hours will be allowed inside the airports.
• Cabin luggage will be disallowed, and only one piece of check-in baggage weighing less than 20kg will be allowed per passenger in the first phase of resumed airline operations.
• Those above the age of 80 will not be allowed on flights. According to the draft SOPs, passengers stopped from boarding a flight because of age or if they are found to be running a high temperature will be permitted to change their travel date without any penalty.
• Downloading the Aarogya Setu app will be mandatory for all the passengers. Only those with a “green status” will be allowed to enter the airport.
• Airlines have been asked to open check-in counters three hours prior to departure time and close them 60 to 75 minutes prior to departure. Boarding will commence an hour prior to departure time and the gates will close 20 minutes before.
• Frisking of passengers has been asked to be minimised and to be carried out only if the door frame metal detector beeps. The draft SOPs also ask the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to not stamp passenger’s boarding pass in this phase.
• The airlines have been told to conduct a secondary temperature check at the boarding gate before the passengers enter their flight.
• The document also suggests that the same set of crew (pilots and cabin attendants) be rostered on a flight as long as possible to minimise the risk of infection.
• Passengers will not be served meals on board. Water will be available in cups and bottles in the galley.
• The last three rows of the aircraft will be kept vacant for isolation of any passenger who develops a medical condition. Crew members handling such cases will wear personal protection equipment.An adequate number of PPEs will be available on board to deal with more than one such case.
