Safety norms

The crew wears the mandatory safety gear – hazmat suits, masks, gloves, and headgear – through the flight. Food boxes and water bottles are kept on the seat and no service is allowed during the flight. The aircraft is sanitised before and after the flight. “Wearing hazmat suits isn’t easy while flying. We have done some turnaround flights to the Gulf from Kochi and as we don’t deplane while landing it becomes really hot and unbearable. However, we do comply with the safety norms as it is in the interest of our passengers,” says a pilot who regularly flies on the Kochi-Gulf sector of Air India Express.

Meanwhile, “The fares that the private airlines charge will not be market fare but will be pre-determined comparable to what Air India and Air India Express are levying. Domestic flights resumed within India from 25 May. Till 18 June there have been 749 departures and 753 arrivals. Around 62,850 passengers were handled on arrival and 63,192 on departure,” says Pradeep Kharola, secretary, civil aviation, speaking about the fares that private carriers charge passengers during these evacuation flights.

Regarding the resumption of international flights, Puri says it is based on several factors including the lifting of airspace restrictions by various countries, quarantine norms, and ease of travel within those countries for incoming passengers. One more factor that they would consider before restarting international flights is when domestic traffic reaches about 50 to 60 per cent.

For a passenger wanting to return to India, he has to first apply in the Indian embassy or High Commission. Following the approval, he can book his tickets to India.

Interestingly, despite the chaos that the outbreak of the pandemic has created globally, the minister of civil aviation is optimistic of the disinvestment of Air India. He says that the national carrier is a first-class asset and the disinvestment would come through once things settle down a bit.