AAI lists guidelines for airport staff & flight crews ahead of aviation resuming on May 25

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Thursday has issued detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to all its airports. The 6-page SOP contains a detailed list measure that the staff and passengers need to follow while boarding and deboarding the flights. The SOP also highlights important guidelines that need to be adhered to when it comes to the safety of the staff and crew members at all the airports, ahead of flights resuming again on May 25.

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According to the SOP guidelines, the staff on duty can only use personal vehicles or selected authorized taxi services/transport services with restricted seating for commuting to and from the airport. All airport staff handling the flight should be provided with hand sanitizers and all essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face mask etc. the guidelines strictly stated.

The Airlines also need to ensure that sufficient staff shall be deployed near check-in counters and pre-security area to guide passengers and to ensure sufficient distance is maintained between them.

The SOP also instructed the airports to set up de-gowning areas at appropriate locations for staff, airline crew, and medical personnel to divest and dispose of personal protective equipment with a protocol for safe disposal of PPEs as biohazard waste.

Employees showing symptoms such as high fever, difficulty in breathing and cough will not be taken on duty & allowed entry into airport/office. Such cases should be reported to appropriate health authorities. If Any crewmember or other staff comes in contact with COVID-19 patient or is exposed to possible infection, are to be quarantined as per advisory of the Health Ministry, the latest guidelines stated.

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Here is the full SOP list:

Domestic flights to resume

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced that domestic flights will recommence in a calibrated manner from May 25 onwards. Taking to Twitter, Puri stated that all airports and air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from Monday onwards. 

The development came just a day after the Civil Aviation Minister had stated that the Centre alone cannot operate domestic flights, adding that the state governments will also have to be ready to operate domestic flights. In a notice issued by the DGCA earlier, domestic and international aviation operations had been restricted till May 31 under the fourth phase of the lockdown. 

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COVID-19 cases in India

As per Union Health Ministry's update on Thursday morning, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 3,435 and the number of cases to 1,12,359 in the country, registering an increase of 132 deaths and 5,609 cases in the last 24 hours. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 63,624, while 45,299 people have recovered and one patient has migrated.

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