On Monday 25 May, the Centre, along with major airline companies like IndiGo, Spicejet and GoAir, announced a new set of flights operating out of major cities across India. As per guidelines released by the Civil Aviation Ministry of India, only a certain number of cities, which are considered in the Green or Orange zone in the country, will be covered in the domestic flight itinerary. Read the full set of guidelines here.
As the first few flights had taken off, we spoke to Digital Creator Saahil Singh Yaduvanshi, a resident of Mumbai who was flying out to Chandigarh by IndiGo Airlines. He had shot a video log of his journey from his house in Mumbai to the arrivals area of the Chandigarh airport.
You may check out the video below.
AN ESSENTIAL TRAVEL CHECKLIST FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS
I. Do not travel unless you have to. You might risk contracting or infecting unnecessary amounts of people because of it. Therefore, save your travelling for essential purposes only.
II. Arrive at the airport at least 2-3 hours before your scheduled flight. You might have to stand in long queues outside the departure area, waiting to get your ID checked.
III. Don’t fret if you do not have a printout of your travel itinerary with you. The airline ticketing counters will provide ticket copies upon checking your ticket confirmation email.
IV. The airline company will provide you with PPE set consisting of a 3-ply mask, sanitiser pouches and a face shield. Aside from this if you feel you must carry hand gloves, you may do so.
V. Maintain social distancing at all times. Use lavatories sparingly and take utmost care while doing so.
VI. Be co-operative with the airport medical team at the arrival port, as different states have different COVID-19 testing protocols.
Saahil’s experience onboard left him anxious and nervous as this was the first time that he had to travel under such extraordinary circumstances. He decided to fly back home to his parents in Chandigarh due to the rising cost of living in this city as well as to be with his family in this disconcerting time.
He said he hadn’t received confirmation of his flight up until 2 AM the previous night. Four hours later, he was on his way to the airport, still unsure whether the flight would take off. His ID was checked using a magnifying glass, reducing all forms of contact with security personnel and the ground staff. Luckily for him and several other passengers, the flight was on-time, as scheduled.
He further remembers the eerie silence in the plane throughout the flight. Perhaps the anxiety in everyone’s minds was palpable and was being revealed in the form of pin-drop silence. The cabin crew handled the passengers with extreme care and made sure that proper in-flight protocol was followed.
Upon landing, the familiar clicks of the seat belts were replaced with standing instructions by the flight attendant on deplaning, adhering to social distancing norms. Each row, consisting of two people, would be deplaning at once, while the rest would have to remain seated.
At the arrivals port, people were queued up to get throat swab tests, mandated by the Punjab Government for passengers entering the State. A set of medical professionals carefully performed the tests and allowed people to pass through once negative. The procedure took around one hour. By this time, it was natural for people to feel anxious.
Saahil saw a couple of people lose their cool as they were unsure about the flight status. The video shows the empty foyer of the Mumbai airport which used to be one of the busiest airports in India before COVID.
We agreed when he says, “Everything looks the same, but it isn’t.”
This is the new normal for air travel in the COVID times. All we can do is be prepared for everything that comes our way.
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