Bhubaneswar airport readies to resume operations
BHUBANESWAR: To resume schedule operations at Biju Patnaik International Airport here, the authorities have started gearing up preparations so that social distancing and other safety issues are maintained while handling passengers at the arrival, departure and waiting lounge.
The airport has shut operations since national lockdown on March 24. Barring the unscheduled flights and helicopters, which are operating from here as part of relief work, cargo transporation and emergency service like carrying officials of the state government to different districts, no other flights are operating from here.
Airport director VV Rao said they are readying the airport in view of the possibility of resumption of domestic flights. “We are keeping all safety issues as far as tackling corona spread is concerned. But, the government will take a call on restarting the operations. We will give report on our preparations. As such the airport was not in suspended animation as vital technical aspects for operations were very much in force because several unscheduled flights were operating,” said the director.
The top airport officer said they have started demarcating space for the passengers, who will be standing in queue to enter through departure lounge. “We have planned to ensure ‘no-touch’ check at the entry. The personnel of Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) have been asked not to touch the tickets of the passengers while allowing them in. A sanitized table will be kept near the entrance where the passengers will keep the tickets for the CISF to view. The table will be sanitized at regular interval,” said the director adding instead of using metal detector to frisk the passengers, body xray will be relied for the purpose so that there is no body contact and social distancing is also strictly maintained,” said Rao.
The airport has also planned to view the printed tickets of the passengers from inside through the see-through (glass) barrier at the entrance.
From March 17, the Air Asia had stopped its lone Kuala Lumpur-bound flight from here due to coronavirus. It had temporarily shut the operations till April 15 but later chose to suspend it for indefinite period.