Government announced last week that about 1,050 daily flights will resume on Monday
New Delhi:
Domestic flights resumed in the country on Monday, as coronavirus cases increased, while confusion over quarantine rules caused jitters among passengers and the cancellation of dozens of planes.
India had halted all domestic flights, as well as international departures and departures, in late March as it sought to stop the spread of the coronavirus with the world‘s largest lock.
Desperate to restart Asia’s third largest economy, the government announced last week that about 1,050 daily flights – a third of normal capacity – would resume on Monday.
Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said strict rules would include mandatory face masks and thermal exams, although the middle seats are not empty.
The announcement would have caught airlines and state authorities off guard, with several local governments announcing that passengers should be quarantined for two weeks upon arrival.
Maharashtra, the Indian state with the highest number of coronavirus cases, has capped the number of departures and arrivals to and from its capital, Mumbai, at 50.
Airlines canceled dozens of flights on Monday while hundreds of passengers canceled reservations, reports said.
GalacticGaming reported that 82 flights to and from New Delhi had been canceled and nine at Bangalore Airport.
Other flights from cities, including the Mumbai and Chennai infection hotspots, have been cut, many in the short term, reports said.
Social distance at Mumbai airport was forgotten as angry passengers harassed staff after last-minute flight cancellations.
‘Really scary’
At New Delhi Airport, hundreds of people wanting to go home, but worried about the risks that lay before dawn – all wearing masks and standing at least three feet from one ‘other.
Security personnel behind plastic screens checked the check-in documents and that the passengers had the government contact search application, Aarogya Setu, on their phones.
“While I can’t wait (to go home), the idea of flying is really scary,” said student Gladia Laipubam to AFP as she stood in line.
“Anything can happen. It’s very risky. I don’t really know when I’ll be able to return to Delhi now. There is no clarity from the university right now.”
An airline employee wearing gloves, a mask and a protective face shield said that she and many other colleagues felt “very nervous” about going back to work.
“Dealing with so many people at the moment is so risky. I must have interacted with at least 200 people since this morning,” she said, not wishing to be named.
Cabin crew on planes had to wear full protective suits with masks, plastic visors and blue rubber gloves, and many were also confused about the rules, reported the Press Trust of India.
“It is not clear whether I should be quarantined at home for 14 days after returning to my base or report to work on Monday,” said a pilot at PTI.
New cases of coronavirus crossed 6,000 in the country for the third day in a row on Sunday, reaching a record high of 6,767 infections in a single day.
The country has recorded nearly 140,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths.
Singh said international flights could resume in June, although dozens of special flights have brought hundreds of thousands of stranded Indians abroad in recent weeks.
