Govt comes out with guidelines for domestic air travel; divides fares into 7 bands
   Date :22-May-2020

domestic air travel_1&nbs
 
 
Those residing in containment zones will not be allowed to travel The rules include no meals on board, mandatory temperature checks for all passengers
 
NEW DELHI :
 
DURATION                           
 
 
Less than 40 minutes      

40-60 minutes

60-90 minutes

90-120 minutes

120-150 minutes

150-180 minutes

180-210 minutes
 
 
  FARE LIMITS
 
 
Rs 2000-Rs 6000

Rs 2,500-Rs 7,500

Rs 3,000- Rs 9,000

Rs 3,500- Rs 10,000

Rs 4,500- Rs 13,000

Rs 5,500- Rs 15,700

Rs 6,500- Rs 18,600
 
 
 
AFTER a two-month hiatus, one-third of the scheduled domestic flights would be flying from Monday after the airlines adhere to the Government-prescribed limits on airfares categorised in seven bands based on flight duration, even as the Civil Aviation Minister indicated that the Ministry was not in favour of quarantining passengers on short-haul flights. Unveiling a set of detailed pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight guidelines on Thursday, the Civil Aviation Ministry advised people vulnerable like the elderly, pregnant women and passengers battling health issues to avoid air travel till the coronavirus pandemic abates. All passengers will have to provide their medical details through the Aarogya Setu app or by filling up a self-declaration form, while those residing in containment zones will not be allowed to travel, the Ministry added.
 
Noting that all stakeholders such as airlines, airports have cooperated, Puri said, “operations will start on 1/3 of the approved Summer schedule for domestic routes in a calibrated manner from 25 May 2020 and will be scaled up gradually. After domestic travel has been eased, we will address the issue of international travel depending on the evolving situation.” Claiming that a lot of “fuss” was being made over quarantine of passengers on domestic flights, Puri “I don’t know why we are making such a fuss on the quarantine issue. This is domestic travel. Same laws will apply here that applies when you travel by train or a bus... People who are positive will not be allowed to board the flights.” “If I go to Kerala, will I be put under quarantine for 14 days?
 
Then on my return, will I be put under quarantine again for 14 days? This is not practical,” he added. He also asserted that the larger question of quarantining would have to be tackled in a “pragmatic manner”. The minister said social distancing norms will not be implemented even if middle seats are kept vacant on flights. “Therefore, we have decided not to keep middle seats vacant,” he said. Puri said all the air travel routes have been divided into seven bands based on the duration of flights ranging from 40 minutes to 210 minutes. The aim of the exercise is to prescribe upper and lower limits of fares and the caps on fares would be in place till August 24. Later, DGCA issued the Government-decided fare limits for these bands —domestic flights with less than 40-minute duration to have lower and upper limit of Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,000, for 40-60 minutes Rs 2,500 and Rs 7,500, for 60-90 minutes Rs 3,000 and Rs 9,000, for 90-120 minutes Rs 3,500 and Rs 10,000, for 120-150 minutes Rs 4,500 and Rs 13,000, for 150-180 minutes Rs 5,500 and Rs 15700. Flights with duration between 180-210 mins, like ones on Delhi-Coimbatore route, to have lower and upper limit of Rs 6,500 and Rs 18,600, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in its circular. While aviation consultancy, CAPA’s CEO and Director for South Asia Kapil Kaul welcomed the partial and calibrated resumption of flight services, he said the limit on fares is a “bad and unfortunate decision” “This decision will hurt airlines more than helping (them)... Interfering in pricing which is most strategic to airlines is taken based on a wrong advice,” he told PTI.
 
The rules include no meals on board, mandatory temperature checks for all passengers and allowing only one check-in bag for each passenger. People who were tested positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to travel. All the passengers will have to wear masks while entering the airports and thereafter. Passengers will have to report to airports two hours before flights are scheduled to depart and they will have to strictly follow social distancing rules.
 
Aviation Secretary P S Kharola said 40 percent of seats in any flight would have to be sold at the mid-point of the lower and upper limits of air fares. Airports have been advised to earmark areas for isolation as well as to carry out COVID-19 testing of suspected passengers. According to the guidelines, the airports will have to ensure easy availability of hand sanitisers at all entry points and at various touch points. “Take-away, digital payments, self-ordering booths at F&B and retail outlets to be encouraged to prevent crowding of people,” it said.