The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that secures the civilian airports across the country has suggested a slew of measures like social distancing and avoiding bunching of aircraft among others to ensure safety of passengers once the Covid-19 lockdown is restricted and air services resume.
The suggestions forwarded to the Civil Aviation Ministry also include need for passengers to carry necessary personal protective gear like masks and gloves and equip all entry and exit gates at the airport with hand sanitiser bottle dispensers.
It said commercial flights should keep a seat vacant between two passengers in order to ensure social distancing.
Besides the CISF, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had invited suggestions from a host of stakeholders like airline operators, airport concessionaire and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security among others.
As per the CISF suggestions, the flight operators would require to record details of home/self/hospital quarantine history from the travellers.
If any passenger is seeking travel after undergoing quarantine, the CISF will screen such person in isolation checking point. The check-in counters should be opened in way that there is sufficient gap between two desks to ensure distancing.
Social distancing markers should be indicated at various areas of the airport and the passengers will be offered sanitisers before occupying a seat in the aircraft.
Counters for sale of masks and gloves need to be set up inside the airport. Airport operator should detail a dedicated team of staff with thermometer at all entry and exit points of the airport to screen the passengers.
The airport operators have also been advised by the CISF in the suggestion list that they should explore the feasibility of placing sanitising tunnels at the entry points to santisise the passengers.
The Government had suspended commercial flight operations from March 25 as part of the Covid-19 containment.