Friday, September 04, 2020

Chennai, Kolkata & Chandigarh airports to get Covid testing facility for international arrivals: AAI

New Delhi: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is going to set up Covid testing facilities at places like Chennai, Kolkata and Chandigarh for arriving international passengers to allow those testing negative to take connecting domestic flights from there.

The operators of JV airports at Delhi and Mumbai — India’s busiest hubs — have finalised their plans for these testing centres and will roll them out very soon.

A senior AAI official said: “Our Covid testing centres at some places like Chennai, Kolkata and Chandigarh should be ready this month. This facility will initially be for those flying in from abroad so that they can take connecting domestic flights if their test result is negative.”

The aviation ministry had on Wednesday issued the the guidelines for conducting these tests on a pilot basis. This will benefit those passengers who could not get a Covid test done 96 hours before taking their flight to India. Once the pilot project is successful, the same protocol will be extended to other passengers who want to get exemption from paid quarantine at the first port of arrival.

Airport operators will need to create a sample collection and result waiting lounge for such passengers. “Airports shall provide options to passengers to do online booking of the RT- PCR test.… Once passengers arrive at the entry airport, airport operator should lay down a well- defined flow for such passengers at their respective arrival terminals…,” the order says.
03/09/20 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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