The Airports Authority of India on Friday issued guidelines for safe air travel ahead of the possible resumption of flights, which have been suspended since the nationwide lock down was imposed at the end of March.
The statutory body, functioning under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, released a six-point checklist for passengers, which includes installing the Aarogya Setu app, wearing a protective mask, maintaining physical distancing and washing hands, among others.
Last week, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that the government was preparing to resume flights in a calibrated manner. “Preparations to restart civil aviation operations are in place, he had tweeted. “As soon as a decision is taken in this regard we will be able to take off immediately. We also foresee changes in the way people traveled thus far.”
The government resumed passenger train services in a limited manner on May 12. The passengers are required to adhere to the government’s safety protocol. Some states have mandated a 14-day quarantine period for people coming from outside.
The Center is yet to announce its decision on whether it will further extend lock down, which is set to end on May 17.
The chief ministers of all states had an online meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to discuss the corona virus situation in the country. Modi had asked them to provide a blueprint of their strategies to exit the lock down in a phased manner by May 15. The prime minister had also hinted that the next phase of the lock down would be very different from the previous ones.
The number of corona virus cases in India rose 85,940 on Saturday morning and the toll reached 2,752. The country reported 3,970 cases and 103 deaths in 24 hours. India has surpassed China’s tally of 84,038 cases.
