Air travel has emerged as the safest mode of conveyance during the Covid-19 pandemic as only 0.03% of total domestic passengers who flew between 25 May and 15 June were found to be corona-positive, as per the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) data. It has come at a time when the country is witnessing a massive spike in corona cases. A total of 341 passengers out of over 12.4 lakh passengers tested positive for Covid-19 who travelled by air in the given period.
Various states have conducted corona tests of passengers at arrivals as they have mandated compulsory Covid-19 testing for all arriving passengers while some states were testing only symptomatic passengers. This percentage is bringing some relief to passengers, airlines and other stakeholders as multiple steps were taken by stakeholders to ensure safe travel from check-in until arrival and minimise transmission risk.
So far, there has been no evidence of transmission of the infection on a flight. As per DGCA orders, airlines have been providing face shield, mask and gloves to passengers before boarding and PPE suit to the one in the middle seat. IndiGo has reported 186 passengers out of six lakh who tested Covid-positive, during health check-up at the destination airport, in this period.
Vistara has seen 17 passengers who later tested Covid-positive. Air India and its regional arm Alliance Air have seen 36 passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 in domestic flights. Airlines such as GoAir, SpiceJet, AirAsia and TruJet have recorded 15, 60, 22 and five coronapositive cases, respectively.
