Coronavirus: Ensure passengers are on alternate seats during flights, DGCA tells airlines

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Monday issued a set of guidelines on social distancing to all domestic air carriers amid the escalating coronavirus outbreak, asking them to ensure that passengers are seated in alternate seats during flights, ANI reported. COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has killed seven people and infected 415 people in India.

The aviation authority also directed all air operators to ensure that there is one metre space between passengers at check-in counters and to make sure that there is no bunching of people during boarding, exiting or security check.

All airlines must provide the staff and passengers sanitisers at the airplane entry, the DGCA added. The crew members must maintain adequate distance from passengers while serving them during the flight, the guidelines said.

Meanwhile, passengers have been asked to exhibit conscious social distancing by keeping distance from other travellers at the airport and sitting at a distance from others at the waiting area. Any other action deemed appropriate to maintain social distancing is encouraged, it added.

Over 80 Indian districts that have confirmed coronavirus cases or deaths went into lockdown on Monday. The Indian Council of Medical Research’s last update said a total of 415 people were infected as of Monday morning.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, while announcing the lockdown in the national Capital on Sunday, had said all international and domestic flights will be banned from landing in the Capital. However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation later clarified that domestic flights will be allowed to land in Delhi.

The Centre on Thursday announced that no international flights will be allowed to land in India from March 22 for a week, intensifying the measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.