How Delhi airport is preparing to operate after lockdown?

Airports across the globe including India are gearing up to resume operations once the lockdown ends. However, they are also to ensure the safety of people who will use the flight services.

The Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi is one of the busiest airports not just in India, but across the world. Authorities at New Delhi airport are working round the clock to come up with strategies on how they are going to resume flight services once the restrictions are lifted.

GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited, which manages the Delhi airport is gearing up for the post lockdown days to ensure safety against the global pandemic. DIAL CEO, Videh Kumar said that Delhi Airport is conducting training and assessments of key service personnel, performing risk evaluations and running checks on major facilities to prepare for resuming services.

A group of 500 professionals carry a sanitization exercise every hour for high contact surfaces, such as elevators, chairs, desks, railings, handles, CUSS, trays, trolleys and baggage belts inside the terminals. Airport operators clean the total 6,08,000 square meter of the airport every day. Washrooms are closed every hour to clean up the surfaces. These practices are to be carried even after the airport reopens for common passengers when thousands of them will arrive.

All the alternate seats are getting marked and coloured tapes are put up at various standpoints to ensure that people follow social distancing norms. Additional seating facilities are to be provided to travellers near the check-in points, near immigration and security areas.

Additional queue managers will be deployed by airport authorities at the kerbside, boarding gates and check-in halls security check areas with social distancing markets to ensure social distancing amongst travellers. DIAL has also planned to encourage passengers for check-in at home or use self-check-in facilities, scan and fly, self bag tag and more.

Additional security staffs will be stationed at various spots to screen airport staffs, who will be fully equipped with proper PPEs. The passengers will be reminded time and again to wear masks and maintain social distance.

Auto sanitizer dispensers will be availed at the terminals and UV machines will be installed at the airport to disinfect the luggage. Trolleys will be disinfected after every use. If someone is found coronavirus-infected or shows symptoms of coronavirus, they will be sent to newly-created proper facilities for isolation at the airport.