As many as 32,000 people arrived at the Srinagar International Airport since May 25 when routine passenger air traffic was restored after two months of hiatus owing to outbreak of Covid-19.
As per official data, 256 airliners including seven international flights touched down at the airport during this period. Of the total number of passenger arrivals, almost 1400 arrived from Jammu.
Officials coordinating the testing and other formalities of the arriving passengers said that “barring travellers coming from Jammu and defence personnel”, all other passengers who arrived at the airport were tested for Covid-19 and put under administrative quarantine till their reports came out negative.
“Considering travellers from Jammu move from an ‘Orange Zone’ to a ‘Red Zone’, they are exempted from testing. The defence personnel have their own testing protocol,” the official said.
Passenger air traffic resumed on May 25 for the first time since March 25, when the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had suspended all routine air traffic operations due to the lockdown owing to Covid-19.
Director, Airports Authority of India, Srinagar Airport, Santosh Dhoke told Greater Kashmir that all standard operating procedures were being followed for both passenger arrivals and departures. “Soon after passenger arrival, their registration is done. In the arrival terminal, social distancing markings have been made to ensure there is no rush during baggage collection etc,” Dhoke said. “Covid-19 testing for the passengers is being done after they fill the ICMR form,” Dhoke said. As per the flight schedule released by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last month, 13 out of the 32 routine flights at Srinagar Airport will be operating till June 30. This schedule issued by India’s aviation regulator has also slotted 4 to 5 alternate day flights of various airlines for Srinagar.
All six airlines- Vistara, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air Asia and Indian Airlines- which have been operating to this region were approved by DGCA to resume flight operations. However, Dhoke said the number of flights was expected to be increased after June 30. “For the first phase, only limited number of flights is allowed but we hope more flights are allowed as soon situation around Covid-19 improves,” said Dhoke. Dhoke said of the total 256 flight arrivals since May 25, seven were international arrivals. “Till now two flights of Air India under the Vande Bharat Mission of Government of India on May 22 and June 11 have brought back more than 300 stranded Kashmiris from Dubai,” Dhoke said. As part of the phase 2 of this Mission a Riyadh- Srinagar Air India direct flight arrived here on May 29 while Dammam – Srinagar flight arrived on May 31.
The flight between Jeddah to Srinagar was on June 4. A special flight between Qatar-Srinagar operated on May 31 while the Muscat- Srinagar flight was on June 2 with capacity of more than 150 passengers. Earlier in the month of May, flights from Bangladesh had brought back hundreds of stranded Kashmiri students, who on their arrival, were put under administrative quarantine and were allowed to go home only after their test for Covid-19 came out negative.