15 flights arrive at Srinagar Airport in 2 days

‘Paid quarantine’ in 25 hotels including star properties

As the passenger air traffic resumed on Monday two months after it was snapped following outbreak of covid19 in the country, fifteen flights with 1453 passengers arrived at the Srinagar International Airport in the last two days.

Officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said that six flights arrived in the summer capital Srinagar on Monday and nine flights on Tuesday. “One the first day of the resumption of the operations, we received 562 travellers in six flights,” Director, AAI, Srinagar, Santosh Dhoke told Greater Kashmir.

“Today we received 891 passengers in nine flights. The number of flights is going to increase in the coming days,” Dhoke said.

The passenger air traffic resumed on Monday for the first time since March 25, when Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had suspended all routine air traffic operations due to the lockdown owing to Covid-19.

The Airport Director said all standard operating procedures were being followed for both the passenger arrivals and the departures. “Soon after the arrivals, the registration of the arrived persons is done. At the arrival terminal, social distancing markings have been made to ensure there is no rush during baggage collection etc.” Dhoke said.  

“Covid-19 testing for the passengers is being done after they fill the ICMR form. Barring defence personnel who have their own protocol, and passengers arriving from Jammu, all others have to go through the testing,” Dhoke said.

The Airport Director said tents have been pitched in the car parking area where the travellers gather for their journey towards the quarantine centres. “All the departments including CISF, civil administration and airport staff are working in tandem to ensure touch-free passenger handling with convenience,” Dhoke said.

He said outbound passengers have to pass through gate number 1 where a sanitisation tunnel has been set up. “A team of doctors near tunnel conducts thermal screening of the passengers,” Dhoke said. “The tickets and identification cards are checked with help of web cameras. Check-in counters have also been covered by glass sheet and fibre to ensure distancing. Fumigation of the terminal is being done before and after every flight arrival. We also have automatic hand sanitizers installed in the terminal which are quite effective,” Dhoke said.

Meanwhile, several air travellers complained about “lack of facilities” at the administrative quarantine centers due to which many of them are staying in paid facilities such as hotels.

“I am staying at a hotel in Sonwar where I am awaiting the test result. The facilities here are quite good and hope our test result comes out soon,” said Aarash Pirzada, a passenger who reached here on Monday.

Many travellers saying that they were short of money because they had been stuck in various states for two months demanded that hotel rent for quarantine be reduced.

“We also want to stay at the paid quarantine but cannot afford to do so. We hope the government will provide us more affordable hotels,” said Shahid Ahmad, a traveller. 

When contacted, Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Dheeraj Gupta who is also the nodal officer for returning travellers at Srinagar Airport said 25 hotels of three different categories including 5-star hotels have been designated as paid quarantine centres.

“25 hotels have been divided into three categories where people can stay during their quarantine period. These include from mid-category hotels to two 5-star hotels,” Gupta said.

As per official sources, while The Lalit located on the banks of Dal lake is charging a per night tariff of Rs 6,000 per room, travellers staying for their quarantine at Vivanta By Taj will have to shell out Rs 5,000 per night. However, “mid-category hotels” have also been made available for the quarantine with a tariff of Rs 1200 per room per night and Rs 400 for three meals daily, officials said.