PremiumNew Delhi: GMR-led Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said on Friday it is set to provide a safe and healthy environment to passengers flying out of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) when operations resume after the current nationwide lockdown ends.
The airport is following the government's directions ever since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 25 and extended till May 3, including restriction on commercial flight operations.
DIAL said it is gearing up in full swing to emerge from the global pandemic. It has taken several measures to sanitise terminal buildings and ensure strict compliance of social distancing norms by passengers and staff to minimise human contact in the post-lockdown days.
To encourage compliance of social distancing norms at the airport, DIAL will deploy additional queue managers at kerb side (city side), check-in halls, security check areas and boarding gates, with social distancing markers and reminders.
DIAL said it will encourage all passengers to wear masks and maintain social distancing at all times to ensure their own safety and well being. To make social distancing more effective among passengers, DIAL has planned to put visually impactful designs at various places.
For instance, signage in coloured tape have been placed at various stand points and staggered seating arrangement with different markers have been positioned on alternate chairs to maintain a gap.
Additional seating arrangements will be done in the check-in area for passengers near the check-in counters, security areas and near immigration. Also, DIAL is conducting deep cleaning every day at its vast premise of 6.08 lakh square metres of the airport terminals.
A team of 500 professionals have been deployed to carry out frequent disinfection drive after every hour. Regular sanitisation of high contact surfaces, such as desks, chairs, elevators, railings, CUSS, trolleys, handles, trays, baggage belts, etc. inside the terminals is being carried out and will continue when the airport reopens.
Apart from these, washrooms will be closed after every hour to sanitise all its surfaces. DIAL will install auto-dispensing sanitisers in the terminals.
To avoid close contact and crowding at the counters, passengers will be encouraged to check-in at home or use self-service facilities such as self-check-in facility, self bag tag facility, scan and fly, etc. The airport also plans to install UV machines to sanitise checked baggage.
For the safety of passengers and staff, trolleys will be disinfected after each use. DIAL said it will create environments in food courts, lounges and shops to encourage social distancing and other aseptic precautions.
Apart from these, DIAL will also have facilities to isolate suspected COVID-19 passengers at the airport in accordance with government direction. A team of DIAL security staff will be deployed at various entry points to screen the airport staff. They will be provided with adequate protective equipment, including mask and gloves.
"DIAL leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the well-being of its passengers," said Chief Executive Officer Videh Kumar Jaipuriar. "The disinfection aims to create a safe and healthy environment for passengers and staff members when operations resume at the airport."
Jaipuriar said DIAL is going to continue its awareness drive by educating and encouraging passengers to maintain social distancing while in the queue. "The Delhi Airport is also conducting training and assessments of key service personnel, run checks on major facilities and performing risk evaluations to prepare for resuming operations," he said in a statement.
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