At least 450 passengers from Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad landed at the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi on Monday – the day passenger flight services resumed in India after a lull of two months, airport officials said. All the 450 odd passengers were put in home quarantine, they added.
"Two flights from New Delhi landed in Ranchi today. Besides, one flight each from Bangalore and Hyderabad landed here," said Airport Director Vinod Sharma. "All the passengers were screened at the airport. The guidelines issued by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) were followed religiously," he added.
A majority of the passengers who landed in Ranchi airport on Monday came from New Delhi – a city that is among the worst-affected COVID-19 regions in the country, airport officials said. However, none of the passengers were put in institutional quarantine, they added.
Ranchi Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Lokesh Mishra said that the passengers were asked to stay quarantined at home for 14 days. "We screened all the passengers, and put them in home quarantine," Mishra said.
A flight from Mumbai was also supposed to land in Ranchi on Monday. However, it was cancelled after the Maharashtra Government decided not to resume domestic air travel amid COVID-19 pandemonium, airport officials said.
All passenger flights to and from Ranchi have remained suspended since March 24 in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic – a preventive measure that has cost airline companies, airport authority and even third party ticket booking apps dearly, sources said. The Birsa Munda Airport, officials said, is still on the path of expansion, and a crisis in such circumstances may show its impact on the airport's long-term development goals.
The Birsa Munda Airport is fast growing in terms of connectivity with other cities. The largest airport in Jharkhand has 30 flights connecting Ranchi to important cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The airport also has an international bay, but is yet to get any international flights.
The AAI, which has control over most of the airports across India and takes decisions regarding domestic air connectivity, has issued elaborate and strict guidelines in order to prevent transmission of COVID-19 virus during air travel. As per AAI's SOP released on Thursday, all passengers have to wear masks and gloves while traveling. Passengers above 14 years of age should also download the Government's Aarogya Setu App, and the ones who do not show a green signal in the app will not be allowed in the airport.