What are the rules for domestic flight passengers in different states?

Indian skies will open up for domestic passenger flights from Monday after a gap of two months amid confusion over what quarantine rules may apply to the travellers but some states will see "limited" operations and the resumption delayed by up to three days.

As India enters the last week of the thrice extended lockdown for 68 days, the resumption of domestic flights comes at a time when new coronavirus cases in the country crossed 6,000 for the third consecutive day on Sunday, surging to a record single day spike of 6,767 infections. The fourth phase of national lockdown to fight the COVID-19 pandemic is due to end on May 31.

Bookings had opened for around 1,050 domestic flights planned for Monday but the revised measures announced on Sunday have led to cancellation of several flights leaving hundreds of passengers disappointed. The airlines, which were allowed to operate one-third of their capacity, will now have to further rework their flight schedules.

Government officials said the airports in Kolkata and Bagdogra in cyclone-hit West Bengal will not operate any domestic flights between May 25 and 27 but will handle 20 flights each per day from May 28. The airports in Mumbai in Maharashtra and Hyderabad in Telangana will daily handle 50 and 30 flights respectively from Monday. The Maharashtra government had requested the Centre to keep the air services in the state at a minimum possible level. Mumbai is the country's second busiest airport.

All the flights account for equal number of arrivals and departures, officials said. There will be "limited" flights from Mumbai starting tomorrow and as per approved one-third schedule from other airports in the state, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Twitter.

Puri also tweeted to say that maximum 25 flights per day can arrive in Chennai from Monday and there will be no limit on number of departures. For other airports in Tamil Nadu, flights will operate as in other parts of the country.

States like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were earlier opposed to immediate opening up of their airports in view of rising cases of the coronavirus infection. The three states are home to some of the busiest airports in the country in terms of passenger traffic.

Here are the rules for the different states: 

Uttar Pradesh:

Uttar Pradesh government said air travellers to the state will be home quarantine for 14 days unless they are staying for less than a week or if they clear the coronavirus test earlier. They can get themselves tested for the virus on the sixth day from their arrival and end their quarantine if the results come out negative. If the passengers do not have adequate facilities at home, they will be kept at a quarantine centre. Outsiders on visits of less than a week to the state need not go into quarantine if they furnish details of their return journey. All passengers coming to UP will have to register themselves on http://reg.upcovid.in and furnish details of themselves and family members travelling with them. A message will be displayed on their phones after this and CISF personnel will let them leave the airport only after checking it.

Tamil Nadu:

The state said it has allowed flights to Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli and notified the Standard Operating Procedure for air travel which stipulates, among other norms, 14 days of home quarantine and an e-pass for entry into the state. The Tamil Nadu government apprised the Centre that incoming domestic flights to Chennai can be restricted to 25 per day. "Flights to Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli can be operated," Chief Secretary K Shanmugam told the Centre in a letter. Due to high number of virus cases, flights from Gujarat and Maharashtra may be kept at the barest minimum level and "there is no issue for operating any number of outgoing flights from Tamil Nadu," Shanmugam said.

Maharashtra:

A total of 25 flights will be operated in and out from the Mumbai international airport beginning May 25, when domestic flights resume partial operations in the country, state minorities affairs minister Nawab Malik said. Interestingly, this statement of Malik, a senior NCP leader, came hours after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that he had sought more time from the Civil Aviation Ministry to restart the operations at the Mumbai international airport. Earlier in the day, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, also of the NCP, said that it was "extremely ill-advised" to reopen airports in red zone amid the coronavirus pandemic. "The Mumbai International Airport will operate 25 flights in and out on daily basis starting Monday onwards. The number of flights will be increased steadily," Malik told news channels.

Karnataka:

Karnataka government's health ministry made it clear that anyone coming from states where there is "high prevalence" of COVID-19 will be kept in institutional quarantine for seven days and if tested COVID-negative the passenger will have to spend the next seven days in home quarantine. Karnataka has classified Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as "high prevalence" states. The passengers coming through the remaining states to Karnataka will have to undergo 14 days of home quarantine. However, the state government clarified that special cases where businessmen are coming for urgent work will not require to undergo any quarantine if they bring test results that are not more than two days old and show them COVID-negative.

New Delhi:

The Delhi government directed authorities to ensure compliance of the Union Health Ministry''s guidelines on domestic travel, according to an official order.

Jammu and Kashmir: 

Jammu and Kashmir government said all incoming passengers will have to undergo 14 days of "administrative quarantine".

Kerala:

Kerala government said on Friday that all flyers will be under a 14-day home quarantine and that it has made an exception to those coming for business purpose or for a short duration.

Punjab:

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had said all incoming passengers will be put in home quarantine for 14 days

Bihar:

Bihar government said that travellers will be put on "paid quarantine" for 14 days.

Andhra Pradesh:

Passengers coming to Andhra Pradesh would be put under home quarantine, said the state government, adding that once their test results for COVID-19 come negative, they will be relieved from isolation.

Assam:

The Assam government said it will be putting flyers on a 14-day quarantine. The passengers might be distributed equally in home quarantine and government quarantine, it clarified.

-Inputs from PTI