India’s New Flying Rules: No Eating, Avoid The Lavatory, Thermal Screening, Contact Tracing

At the Airport:

The airport experience in India will be virtually contactless. Only passengers with a confirmed web check-in will be allowed to enter the airport.

Indian air travelers should get to the airport two hours ahead of their flights and arrive via private vehicles or approved taxi services. Airport authorities are working with cab aggregators on a sticker system to indicate that the vehicle is ready and sanitized for passenger use.

Under the new rules, only one check-in bag and one cabin bag will be allowed per passenger.

Travelers must done face masks and gloves before entering the airport terminal. Staff can provide hand sanitizer and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for those who don’t have it.

Still outside the terminal, flyers must “compulsorily” undergo thermal screening and show officials that they are marked as “safe” on Aarogya Setu, the national contact tracing app that launched seven weeks ago.

Delhi International Airport Limited (Dial), which operates Indira Ghandi International Airport in the capital, stated that “a slew of measures are being rolled out” in preparation for commercial flights to resume, including “specially designed ultraviolet (UV) based tunnels to disinfect checkpoint trays and baggage, mobile UV towers to disinfect surfaces in terminal areas and hand held UV devices.”

Boarding and Deplaning

Indian passengers can expect the new boarding and deplaning processes to take longer, given that passengers will be directed to get on and off the aircraft sequentially and in batches to maintain social distancing.

On Board the Plane

Flight attendants will wear full protective gear. There will be no meal services on board, and no newspaper or magazines will be provided by the airlines.

Passengers will not be allowed to eat inside the aircraft during the flight. Passengers are advised to avoid any non-essential movement in the aisles, including minimizing use of the lavatory.