Domestic flights resume in Karnataka with quarantine measures

Bengaluru: As domestic air travel resumed on Monday after nearly two months of COVID-19 induced lockdown, the city’s Kempegowda International Airport will see nearly 107 flights departing and about hundred arrivals, as it begins operations.

According to sources, the first flight out was an Air Asia aircraft to Ranchi that departed at around 5:30 am with about 176 passengers, while the first arrival was a flight from Chennai at about 7:35 am with around 113 passengers.

The Karnataka government has said that the people coming from high COVID-19 prevalent states-Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh- will have to undergo institutional quarantine for a period of seven days and charges to be borne by the passengers.

After their COVID test comes out negative (swab should be taken between 5-7 day after their arrival) using pool testing, they should be sent for home quarantine for another seven days.

Those coming from other low prevalence states have been asked to follow 14 days of home quarantine.

Home quarantine is allowed for pregnant women, children below the age of 10 years and below, senior citizens the age of 80 years and above and terminally ill patients along with one attendant after their test result is negative.

In special cases where businessmen are coming for urgent work, they are permitted without the necessity of quarantine if they bring the negative test report of COVID-19 from ICMR approved laboratory and it should be not be more than two days older from the date of travel.

In case they don’t have such certificate they have to undergo coronavirus test and stay in paid institution quarantine till the test result comes out.

In an effort to protect passengers and staff from the risk of COVID-19 transmission, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) that operates the city airport has introduced a Parking-to-Boarding contactless journey.

With greater emphasis on minimum touch and minimum exposure between passengers and airport personnel, the airport aims to minimise all physical contact, it had said,the technology will continue to enable a seamless airport journey, with greater emphasis on health and safety.