Mumbai CSMIA 'all set to welcome passengers' as dormant planes set to fly from Monday

Domestic air travel in and out of Mumbai will commence from Monday, although the Maharashtra government said it will allow only 25 take-offs and 25 landings daily. The GVK-led Mumbai International Airport managing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) said that it is "all set to welcome passengers on board".

The company in a statement said it will prioritize and uphold the wellbeing of its passengers from the start of time and ensure maintenance and safety at the airport, which includes contact-less payment, adopting eco-friendly methods, amongst others. All passengers landing at the Mumbai airport are also expected to undertake mandatory 14-day home quarantine. 

"Adhering to the new guidelines specified by the Government, CSMIA urges passengers above the age of 14 to mandatorily download the Aarogya Setu app to establish safe travel. Furthermore, CSMIA also advises passengers above 80 years, as well as, expectant mothers and passengers with health issues to restrict travelling. While arriving passengers will be temperature screened by the State Govt. and expected home quarantine for 14-days," said the statement.

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SOP in place

The airport says it has undertaken steps and put in place standard operating procedures for the safety of its passengers. 

"The airport maintenance staff ensure effective sanitization and disinfection of entire terminal buildings, including the vital and high touch point areas. Furthermore, the airport will continue to undertake severe precautionary measures, including screening of departing passengers, maintaining 2 meters of social distancing, and wearing of masks. Additionally, CSMIA has positioned plexiglass at all counters to keep social distancing along with stationing hand sanitizers at all touchpoints. Moreover, CSMIA has also created a separate quarantine centre for symptomatic passengers. CSMIA has deployed resources to manage the queue effectively and to maintain minimal human interaction. The airport thus implements measures to prevent any potential spread of the virus and assure the overall wellbeing of passengers."

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CM cautious of air travel

Although limited domestic air travel will begin in India's financial capital, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that the State needs more time to resume domestic air travel since the multiplication of the virus is picking up in the state. The CM's reservation and cautious approach towards allowing the flow of people stems from the fact that Maharashtra is the hardest COVID-hit state in India, having 46.20% of all active coronavirus cases in the country. Mumbai itself has 30,542 cases of COVID-19.

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