Coronavirus scare: Air India cuts flights, IndiGo’s crew under observation

The civil aviation regulator has issued instructions to disinfect aircraft and come up with safety precautions to prevent spread of the virus

Air India has cut flights to Italy, Japan and Korea while IndiGo has placed four of its crew members under home observation to check the spread of coronavirus. The civil aviation regulator has issued instructions to disinfect aircraft and come up with safety precautions to prevent spread of the virus. The national carrier’s decision to reduce frequencies comes as the government suspended visas of citizens of the three countries. Earlier, the government had issued an advisory to citizens to avoid non-essential travel to these countries. It expanded health screening at airports to cover passengers arriving from 12 countries.

The restrictions have resulted in a sharp drop in loads as customers are postponing or canceling their travel. Frequencies to Tokyo have been reduced from five to four per week and those to Milan, Seoul and Rome were cut to two per week from three or four flights. Similarly, Air India is planning to operate a smaller Airbus A320 type aircraft to Saudi Arabia instead of the Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 due to suspension of pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered that all aircraft arriving from Korea, Italy and Japan be disinfected upon arrival in India. Boarding of passengers on return flights will commence only after health screening on arrival, it said. The DGCA has also asked all the ground staff, cabin crew members, immigration and security staff to use personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, gloves and disposable shoe covers. “Adequate hand sanitising facilities should be made available at multiple locations for use by staff and passengers,” it said…