New Delhi: Airports in India face the mammoth task of screening thousands of people who fly into the country, irrespective of where they are coming from, daily, and identifying those who display symptoms of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
DGCA data shows 78.4 lakh people flew into India between January and March 2019, an average of more than 87,000 daily in that period. After factoring in flight cancellations and the scare, Indian airports could be looking at screening about 80,000 international arrivals daily with staff of the health ministry’s Airport Health Organisation (APHO).
This screening means international arrivals may need to spend 30-40 minutes more before ‘çleared’ passengers leave airports.
“Those with symptoms of the coronavirus will be sent to hospitals. Airlines have been asked to give self-declaration forms to passengers before landing. The thermal screeners being used can check four passengers in a minute. One counter can check about 200 passengers in an hour,” said a senior aviation official overseeing preparedness at airports.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) says 30 airports in the country get international flights. The major chunk of international flights is handled by the six metro airports. India’s busiest airport, Delhi’s IGI Airport, witnesses anywhere from 850 to 2,100 international passengers flying every hour during lean and peak hours.
“The maximum rush is from 11pm to 3am when IGI Airport sees about 6,000 international arrivals from 35 flights in these four hours,” said Delhi airport sources.
The second busiest airport, Mumbai, gets about 100 international flights daily.
06/03/20 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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DGCA data shows 78.4 lakh people flew into India between January and March 2019, an average of more than 87,000 daily in that period. After factoring in flight cancellations and the scare, Indian airports could be looking at screening about 80,000 international arrivals daily with staff of the health ministry’s Airport Health Organisation (APHO).
This screening means international arrivals may need to spend 30-40 minutes more before ‘çleared’ passengers leave airports.
“Those with symptoms of the coronavirus will be sent to hospitals. Airlines have been asked to give self-declaration forms to passengers before landing. The thermal screeners being used can check four passengers in a minute. One counter can check about 200 passengers in an hour,” said a senior aviation official overseeing preparedness at airports.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) says 30 airports in the country get international flights. The major chunk of international flights is handled by the six metro airports. India’s busiest airport, Delhi’s IGI Airport, witnesses anywhere from 850 to 2,100 international passengers flying every hour during lean and peak hours.
“The maximum rush is from 11pm to 3am when IGI Airport sees about 6,000 international arrivals from 35 flights in these four hours,” said Delhi airport sources.
The second busiest airport, Mumbai, gets about 100 international flights daily.
06/03/20 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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