India’s domestic flights rules: Only web check-in, no meals, early arrival and more

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Puri on Wednesday announced that domestic flight operations will restart in the country in a “calibrated manner” from May 25.
Earlier this month, thr AAI had said in a communication to airport managers across the country that all airports should remain prepared to handle flight operations.

Here is the complete list of guidelines laid out by the Government of India:

— FROM ORIGIN TO AIRPORT

-DO’S

– Maintain social distancing and minimum touch.
– Traveller to certify the status of his/her health through the Aarogya Setu App or a self-declaration form.
– Use of digital payment methods.
– Ensure Web Check-in and obtain a boarding pass.
– Only one check-in bag and one cabin bag allowed.
– Vulnerable persons such as very elderly, pregnant ladies, passengers with ailments are advised to avoid air travel.
– Passenger to download the baggage tag/baggage identification number, print it and affix it on the bag at a prominent place.
– If a passenger fails to print the baggage tag, then he/she should mention the PNR number and his/her name on a piece of paper and tag it with the luggage.
– Passenger must enter the terminal wearing a mask
– Passenger to report at the airport as per revised reporting time of 2 hours.
– Passenger to travel in an authorized taxi/personal vehicle following the norms specified by MHA.
– During transit to the airport, the passenger should take all precautions to prevent infection

-DON’TS

– Passenger should reach airport two hours before departure time.
– Those staying in a containment zone should not travel.
– Those tested positive for COVID-19 should not travel.
– Anyone who is not permitted to fly, undertakes an air journey he/she shall be liable for penal action.

— IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

-I/we am/are not residing in any containment zone.
-I/we am/are not suffering from any fever/cough/any respiratory distress.
-I/we am are not under quarantine.
-If I/we develop any of the above-mentioned symptoms, I shall contact the concerned health authorities, immediately.
-I/we have not tested COVID-19 positive.
-I/we am eligible to travel as per the extant norms.
-I shall make my mobile number/contact details available to the airlines whenever required by them.
-I understand that if I undertake the air journey without meeting the eligibility criteria, I would be liable to penal action.
The airlines shall ensure that the boarding pass is issued only after the passenger confirms to the above declaration.
In case of a PNR having more than one passenger, the declaration would be deemed to be covering all the passengers mentioned in the PNR.

–GUIDELINES FOR AIR PASSENGERS AT THE AIRPORT (Departure)

-Passengers should continue to wear mask throughout the journey
-Passenger to get down from the vehicle with the face mask on and with required documents
-Passenger to arrive at the thermal screening facility near the entry gate
-Passenger to get himself/herself checked for temperature and display the status of Aarogya Setu App to the Staff at the entry gate
-In case of non-availability of Aarogya Setu, passenger should be facilitated to go to a counter provided by the airport where Aarogya Setu App can be downloaded
-Passenger to show his/her identity card, the boarding pass/e-boarding pass to the CISF staff at the Entry Gate
-Passenger to proceed to the baggage drop counter and show his/her PNR to the staff. Avoid using baggage trolley, as far as possible
-An electronic receipt shall be sent to the passenger
-Passenger to adhere to the social distancing which would be specified at the Airports through markings like circle, square or tensor barrier
Passenger to complete the check-in procedure and baggage drop at least 60 minutes before departure

–AT SECURITY CHECK-IN

Arrangements have been made at airports to guide passengers to walk through the ore-embarkation security screening
a. Passenger to follow the directions as announced by the authorities and divest of all metal on the body to facilitate the security screening
-Passenger to bring only one hand luggage as per a specified size allowed by the airlines
-Passenger to cooperate with security staff by following the instructions for his/her own safety and security

–SECURITY HOLD AREA

-Passenger to proceed to security hold area after security screening
-While waiting in the security hold area, passenger to maintain social distancing and sanitization protocols
-Chairs marked ‘Not For Use’ should remain vacant
-While going around F&B, retail outlets, etc, passenger should be aware of the social distancing and maintain hygiene. 
-Passenger to dispose of all the bio hazardous material like used masks, gloves, tissues etc. in the yellow-colored disposable bins/bags placed at the airport

–WHILE BOARDING

– Passengers to be attentive towards various communication material displayed at the airport about various health advisories relating to pre-boarding and during the flight precautions
– Passengers to collect the safety kit (three layered surgical mask and sanitizer) from the airlines near the boarding gate
– Passengers to wear mask and sanitize his/her hands before proceeding to the boarding gate for scanning of the boarding pass
– Passengers to be attentive towards boarding announcements and reach the boarding queue by following social distancing
– Display of identity cards by passengers is a must & Check-in of the boarding pass would be done by the passenger by self-scanning of e-boarding pass

–INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT

– During the flight, passengers to strictly follow hygiene and sanitation. Face to face interaction to be minimized
– Passenger to minimize the use of toilets and avoid non-essential movement in the aisles
– No queuing at the toilets and only one companion for children and the elderly would be allowed
– No meal service in the aircraft. Water bottle to be made available in the galley area or on the seats.
– Eatables not to be consumed during the flight
– No newspaper / magazine will be available, no on-board sale of any item
– If the passenger feels Uncomfortable, fatigued or has respiratory distress, it should be brought to the immediate notice of the crew

–AIRPORT TO DESTINATION

– The disembarkation from the airlines would be sequential
– To disembark, passengers to strictly follow Social distance
– Sanitation should be maintained at the arrival gate, aerobridges, coaches, Jet ladders, ramps etc
– Trolleys in the arrival area to be used sparingly

–BAGGAGE COLLECTION

– Passenger to wait at the baggage hold area till the baggage arrives in batches
– Transit passengers will not be allowed to come out of the transit area

–EXIT FROM AIRPORT

– Passengers to hire only authorized taxis
– Passengers to follow social distancing and hygiene while travelling in any mode of transportation
– On arrival at the destination, passengers to adhere to health protocols as prescribed by the destination.