Air India mandates quarantine for evacuation crew till COVID-19 test comes negative

A day before it starts a mammoth exercise to bring thousands of stranded Indians back from abro, national carrier Air India has vised all operating cockpit and cabin crew to stay in a hotel until ir COVID-19 test turns out to be negative. 

In a mail sent to its crew, Air India said it shall be operating special flights to various foreign stations for Indian nationals stranded abro and flight crew operating to those stations shall be night stopping at USA (New York, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago), London and Singapore (on BOM flights). General Manrs of Operations of all bases are vised to ensure Crew transport, movement control staff, and availability of doctors for pre/post-flight medical examination, mail said.

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'First test, n release'

crew which are part of evacuation flights have been ordered to stay in a hotel till his/her COVID-19 test comes out negative. Only after that, y will be allowed to go home.

"In dition, concerned arriving crew shall be staying in a hotel for 24 hrs and will be required to undergo SWAB Test GM(CMS)/GM(DOps) to ensure scheduling of Cockpit/Cabin Crew Station Manrs of above stations to make arrangements for transportation and hotel accommodation (at contracted hotels) at all applicable stations on a FULL BOARD BASIS (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included). This should be negotiated with hotel and preferably be done on a gratis / FOC basis." Air India mail re.

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Special plan for New York

Furr, Air India stressed that crew members are specially assigned for New York (NY) sector considering its epicentre of COVID-19 outbreak in United States.

"Due to major COVID problem in Manhattan NY, all crew should be accommodated at contracted EWR (Newark) hotel. A mandatory compliance report is awaited on an urgent basis to ensure that above evacuation operations are carried out smoothly GM (IFD) in-flight department – to ensure proper coordination for all flights and all bases," Air India mail to evacuation crew re.

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'Vande Bharat Mission'

As part of Modi government's mammoth 'Vande Bharat Mission', a total of 64 flights will be deployed for evacuation of Indians from several countries. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that of se flights, 10 will be sent to United Arab Emirates, two to Qatar, five to Singapore, seven to US, five to Philippines, seven to Banglesh, two to Bahrain, seven to Malaysia, five to Kuwait and two to Oman. All domestic air travels are suspended since lockdown began on March 25, except relief/special and cargo flights.

(With ANI inputs) (PTI Photo)

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