Port Blair Airport To Remain Closed For 4 Days A Week Till May, RT-PCR Not Required For Vaccinated Travelers

Flights to Andaman and Nicobar are now only available four days a week owing to resurfacing work at Port Blair airport. Except for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the airport will be closed for flight operations in the next months. However, the number of incoming flights has increased.

Flights are currently the only way to access Port Blair. It must be noted that every day, more than 20 flights connect Port Blair to Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Vizag. Chennai and Kolkata have the most flights available.

The schedule will be effective from tomorrow onwards.

The partial closure of Port Blair airport will have a negative impact on the economy and tourism. Previously, many critical items and crucial articles were transported by air. Patients seeking emergency assistance would be hurt the hardest.

Responding to the circumstance In a recent VC, Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain raised this problem with the Union Home Secretary, Defense Secretary, and Chief of Staff, Andaman Nicobar Command. The Chief Secretary has asked for an alternative solution to this problem.

All asymptomatic fully vaccinated and children below 05 yrs coming to @aaipblairport as pax are exempted from carrying -ve RT-PCR report and further testing at Port Blair. #DekhoApnaDesh @MoCA_GoI @AAI_Official @aairhqer @Andaman_Admin @ca_aniadmn @CISFHQrs @DDK_Portblair pic.twitter.com/fMPTrw9kLK
— Port Blair Airport (@aaipblairport) March 2, 2022

No RT-PCR For Vaccinated Travelers

According to the latest orders issued by the Civil Aviation Department of Andaman and Nicobar, the following SOP shall come into force with immediate effect:

All asymptomatic fully vaccinated persons coming to these islands from mainland are exempted from the requirement of carrying RT-PCR negative test report, irrespective of the type of vaccine received and country of origin. Such fully vaccinated individuals shall produce the final vaccination certificate at the origin airport / sea port in the mainland and at Port Blair Airport / sea port.

All asymptomatic children below 5 years of age are exempted from carrying RT-PCR negative test report and further RT-PCR testing at Port Blair Airport.

All other passengers viz. unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers (those who have taken only 10 dose of COVID vaccine) shall have to produce RT-PCR negative test report to travel to Port Blair from mainland, as is the practice now.

Such RT-PCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to commencement of journey from the origin airport connecting Port Blair. Such passengers will also have to undergo additional RT-PCR test on arrival at Port Blair. Such passengers shall remain in self-quarantine till the arrival of test report.