GoAir to board aircraft row-wise; start check-in 3 hours before flight time

Post-lockdown when schedule passenger flights resume, GoAir will open check-in counters three hours before departure time; board aircraft row-wise; keep the middle seat vacant; stop onboard sales and make announcements asking passengers to minimize the use of lavatories, the airline said on Wednesday.

As of now, the flight could resume from May 4 but a final nod will be given by the authorities before that actually happens.

IndiGo had earlier announced it will not have an onboard sale of meals for some time. All airlines are acting to have social distancing at airports, coaches, aerobridges and ensure partially-filled aircraft.

In a statement, GoAir listed the measures “to protect its staff, crew, and passengers in preparation for a phase-wise commencement of flights from May 4. These fully incorporate all recommendations from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) along with some additional measures that the airline is taking.”

These include Strict social distancing at the airport during check-in and boarding, and on the aerobridges and buses, including row-wise boarding and deboarding; check-in counters to open three hours prior to the flight, and close an hour prior, to allow more time for sanitized processing of customers and baggage; ground time for aircraft between flights to be increased to allow for cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces that come into contact with crew or passengers in the cabin, galley, and lavatories and ensuring the availability of hand sanitizers at all key touchpoints on the ground and in the aircraft.

“Social distancing on the aircraft to be enforced – all middle seats will be left empty so that no passenger will have an immediate neighbor. Reduction of inflight service to minimize non-essential interaction between passengers and crew – only water will be provided, there will be no meals or snack service. Suspension of all onboard sales. Clearance of seat pockets of all items except for safety card, which will be replaced or sanitized after each flight,” the airline said.

“Crew to wear face masks and gloves at all times when interacting with passengers and when in the aisles. Announcements will be made to minimize the use of lavatories, and to avoid any non-essential movement in the aisles,” it added.

Passengers will be encouraged to print their boarding passes at home to minimize interactions at the airport.

GoAir CEO Vinay Dube said: “GoAir is in full preparation mode for a gradual commencement of flights from May 4, 2020. Nothing is more important to us at GoAir than the safety and well-being of our staff, crew, and passengers. We are going above and beyond the government recommendations in an effort to ensure maximum health and safety measures are undertaken as we gradually emerge from this unimaginable and unprecedented global crisis.”

(Source: ToI)