Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) at Delhi is all set to resume commercial passenger flights from Terminal 3 after the lockdown ends, hopefully, by 17 May. To void overcrowding and to maintain social distancing norms, entry gates, self check-in machines and check-in bays will be allocated to airlines.
The airport will keep all food, beverage and retail shops open to avoid overcrowding at one place and use “ultraviolet disinfection tunnels” for all incoming baggage, according to a GMR group-led Delhi International Airport Ltd.
As per the plan the passengers of Vistara and IndiGo would enter the airport through gates 1 and 2 only.
These two airlines will have check-in rows A, B and C among them, it said.
AirAsia India and Air India passengers will use entry gates 3 and 4. These passengers will then go to rows D, E and F where the staff of these two airlines would assist them check-in, according to the plan.
SpiceJet and GoAir passengers would enter through gate 5 towards the staff of these two airlines at rows G and H for check-in.
Passengers of all other domestic airlines will enter through gate 5 and will head to row H, the plan said.
All international airlines’ passengers would be entering the airport using gates 6, 7 and 8. The staff of these airlines would be sitting at rows J, K, L and M for check-in at Terminal 3.
The DIAL’s exit plan stated that entry gates, self check-in machines and check-in bays would be allocated to airlines to ensure smooth flow of passengers from forecourt into check-in hall and security thereafter.
Since the lockdown was announced in March, all commercial passenger flights have been suspended since then. However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA are allowed to operate.
“Initially, once the lockdown is over, the commercial passenger fights will be operating from Terminal 3 only. Later, once the number of flights increase, other terminals will be used,” as per a DIAL official.
The operator will promote digital payments and digital menus at various outlets to minimise human contact. Moreover, DIAL would encourage usage of self-ordering kiosks at the food court to reduce queues.