As domestic flights have resumed operations now, airports all around the country have issued several guidelines to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread. Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport has rolled out a set of new rules to ensure a contactless journey for all travellers, from parking to boarding. These rules are as follows:
1. Pre-Entry Rules
- All passengers must wear face masks and carry e-boarding passes.
- Each passenger needs to undergo a thermal screening at the entry gate.
- Travellers must install the Aarogya Setu app on their phones.
- CISF personnel will use a magnified glass screen or an electronic device to verify boarding passes and government IDs.
- Doormats at the terminal entrance will be soaked with bleach for disinfecting the shoes.
- For attending passengers with specific needs like wheelchairs, staffs will wear protective gears.
- The sanitization personnel will disinfect baby strollers and wheelchairs after every use.
2. Check-In Procedure
- Passengers will have to scan their boarding passes at a contactless self-service kiosk inside the terminal and collect their baggage tag.
- They can then proceed to the counter to drop-off their luggage. Each passenger will have permission to carry only one hand baggage and one check-in baggage.
- The authorities have installed transplant partitions at the baggage drop counters. There are social distancing markings on the floor as well.
3. Security-Check
- Passengers need to scan their boarding passes at a kiosk.
- They will have to go through the body scanner after putting belongings in the tray. Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMD) will be used for body scanning.
- There will be no stamping on the boarding passes.
- All trays will be sanitized after use.
- Hand sanitizers will be available at the entry and exit of security-check points.
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4. Boarding
- Passengers will have to collect a protective kit including a face shield, a face mask and sanitizer at the boarding gate.
- They must put on the mask and sanitize hands before boarding.
- They will have to undergo another thermal screening here.
- Passengers will have to seat on alternative chairs while waiting.
5. Contactless Transactions
- At retail and food outlets, passengers must use digital payment methods to reduce human contact. They can pre-order their food and beverages through their smartphones using QR codes and get the food delivered at their place within the airport.
- For lounge access, the authorities have advised the passengers to book their lounge beforehand.
6. Parking And Transport
- At the parking lots, there will be ticket dispensing machines to print tickets after recording the entry date and time.
- There will be a machine at the exit gate to scan the ticket. Then the payment can be made digitally.
- All the taxis will be sanitized as well. Temperatures of the drivers will be monitored before each trip.
- Masks are compulsory both the passengers and the driver.
- There can be a maximum of two passengers per taxi, other than the driver.
- Only 50 percent of BMTC buses will operate.
7. Quarantine Rules
- Passengers coming to Karnataka from the states worst-affected by COVID-19 will have to stay at the government-assigned quarantine centres for seven days. If tested negative, they will have to home-quarantine themselves for seven more days.
- Karnataka has identified Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as ‘high prevalence” states. Passengers the other states in the country will need to stay in home-quarantine for seven days.
8. Registration To The Seva Sindhu Portal
Those who are coming to Karnataka from other states by flights, roads or trains need to register to the Seva Sindhu Portal. People travelling by road need to get their e-passes too. For registration, one needs to visit the website, log in with credentials and fill up the online form. Then they will have to apply for the e-passes after providing the form details for crossing the state borders.
Also Read: Bangaloreans! Mask Up Or Pay Fine Of ₹200
Despite the precautionary measures by the airports, more than 20 flight passengers have tested coronavirus positive in the last four days. Therefore, it’s advisable to avoid travelling as much as possible now. After all, health comes first. Even if you are travelling, make sure that you follow all the protocols and keep safe distances from your co-passengers.