Covid-19 Archives - Ghoomophiro

Post COVID- 19 Air Travel for Indians

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed the shape and image of the world economy. China-born pandemic has brought many economic activities and business to a standstill. It is a major issue before the governments of various countries and states to revive the economy back. The Indian government is doing its best to develop the Indian economy with aid to fight the pandemic. A major challenge before the Indian government will be the planning of post-COVID-19 air travel for Indians.

The arrangements at the airport for going in and out of the country are among the major decisions to be taken. These include the following:

Social distancing norms:

Social distancing is one of the ways to stop the spread of the virus. At the airport, as well as while boarding the flight, the airport authority and the passengers will have to take care of social distancing. They will have to maintain six feet distance between passengers and managers.

Hygiene and sanitation:

The airport authority in India has constructed guidelines to ensure the proper cleanliness at the airports. Also, regular sanitization of airports will be new normal. It has also made mandatory for everyone to cover their faces with masks and wash hands frequently.

Least contact:

The airport authorities have come up with a plan to minimize the contact at the possible departure and arrival time. An arrangement will be made to sanitize all the trolleys after use by the passengers by passing from a sanitation tunnel. Also, to avoid long queues at departure gates, proper seating arrangements will be made for the passengers. Also, the passengers can drop their luggage for checking and screening through scan-and-fly kiosks without any contact with the agents.

Use of PPE and thermal screening:

The airport department will be secured with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Also, there will be shops created around the airport selling gloves, masks, and other equipment. An arrangement will be made for the thermal screening of passengers at the time of arrival and departure of flights. The passengers who are found some symptoms of the virus will be barred from boarding the flight.

Reduction in the number of passengers:

Many airlines have decided to reduce the number of passengers on a flight. Many airlines, like Indigo, have created advisory to allow only 60% of passengers in the plane and keep the middle seats empty. However, it can have a counter effect on the airlines as most of the passengers will not prefer boarding flights as almost 1/3rd of the airbus will be empty.

Safe taxis and onboard meal:

The aviation companies have barred from providing onboard meals to the passengers as a provision of their safety. Also, at the airport (especially Cochin airport in Kerala), the taxi drivers have placed rear mirrors among the passenger and the driver seat to avoid the spread of the virus. Also, only two passengers will be allowed to sit on the back seat after sanitizing their hands properly.

It is the responsibility of every person to stay safe and follow the advisory and decision of airport authorities.

Guide To Travel In The Age Of COVID-19

The spread of coronavirus has aroused anxiety and unrest among those who had already booked their vacations and flight tickets. There are some places where the pandemic has spread more and there are few places where it has reached and access are being reported in high numbers. The epicentre of this virus is deemed to change if the scenario continues with no vaccines currently available to deal with this. In such a scenario whether you should stick to your travel plans or cancel them altogether is a question that remains a moot point of discussion.

Cancelling plans

It is, first of all, a personal choice if you still want to travel amidst the spread of this virus. There are definitely some nations that have restricted tourism and travel for recreational purpose with an intention to control the spread of this epidemic. However, there are many others that have taken no such measures. In case you have planned a trip to a place where coronavirus has still not reached you can definitely continue to stick to your plans but before that, you must have a look at the government policy regarding emigration and immigration. There is no point travelling to and fro from places and eventually having to go into quarantine for 2 weeks or so. A healthy alternative is always to stay back home if possible.

Things to be concerned about

When you travel in normal days, it is totally you who is subject to get bothered with respect to the conditions in the external world. However, during times of pandemic, it is not just you who is going to get bothered by your travel plans. It is surely possible that you travel to and fro from a place without contracting the virus but what about you being a potential carrier of the virus and means of its spread? Being a social animal you ought to consider all these things. By sticking to your travel plans amidst the spread of coronavirus you can be a threat to millions of people who you come across and vice versa.

Refund on cancelling travel plans

It totally depends on the brands that you have made your bookings with. Mostly, you do not get a refund if you plan to cancel the travel on an individual basis but in case it is the government authority or the company itself that cancel the flights then most probably you may get a refund or at least a compensation in one form or the other. Though most of the travel organizations have come out in this crisis and are offering free cancellations.

Travelling in the next few months

In the wake of the spread of this virus, it is hard to say what travelling would be like in months to come. Unless and until governments of different nations do not come to a conclusion regarding controlling the spread it is recommended that you should avoid making travel plans. This is one of the many safety instructions that have been published by the officials of several nations in an attempt to control the spread of this pandemic. Needless to say, before travelling, have

By restricting our travel plans we can be of great help to the public authorities who are trying to put in their best efforts to control the spread. Stay Safe !!