As airlines take measures to resume domestic flight operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the central government has issued SOPs to be followed by travellers, a clarification has been issued that Aarogya Setu app will not be made mandatory for passengers.
However, it is to be noted that passengers will be asked to fill a declaration form stating their health conditions and travel history. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that those without the app can fill the self-declaration form informing authorities of their COVID-19 negative status.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in the list of Standard Operating Procedures issued earlier, had said that as domestic flights restart from Monday, passengers with the Aarogya Setu app installed in their phones and under the green band will be allowed to board flights.
Puri has also compare the app to a passport, saying that if passengers show a green status on the app, they can skip the quarantine period.
“If someone has Aarogya Setu app, it is like a passport. If you have green status, why should anybody want any quarantine,” he said.
Domestic flights are expected to restart at Delhi airport Terminal 3 as services resume from May 25. Passengers will have to wear masks and undergo thermal screening and medical examinations at the airports. Those who show symptoms including cough, fever etc will not be allowed to travel.
Flights were suspended as India went on a lockdown from March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Only cargo and evacuation flights have been allowed to operate during this time.
