CHENNAI: The confusion over whether flights will resume or not from the State's airports on Monday was put to an end with the government releasing official standard operating procedure late on Sunday night by permitting 25 incoming flights to Chennai airport while not putting any cap on departure of flights.
However, the State has also urged the Airports Authority of India to keep bare minimum the flights from Gujarat and Maharastra. Meanwhile, the State has also given the green signal to operate flights to Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy.
Permitting arrival and departure of flights from Chennai was allowed after the State appointed Hans Raj Verma, additional chief secretary Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department on Sunday to coordinate the strategy to handle incoming passengers for domestic air services in the State.
This comes after the initial draft standard operating procedure which was leaked and doing the rounds on the Whatsapp group was denied to be a official one. The revised SOP was announced after the Chief Minister returned to Chennai from Salem in the evening.
For the incoming passengers flying into Tamil Nadu, it is mandatory to register their details online and obtain a TN e-pass through the government portal.
All the passengers will be stamped with 'Quarantine' seal with date with edible ink before they are allowed to move out of airport.
Entry to Tamil Nadu
Passengers on arrival at any airport shall show TN e-pass at the airport exit.
Passengers without the e-pass will not be allowed to exit but it has been relaxed initially for few days and arrangements will be made at the airport for TN e-pass as a transitional arrangement, sources said.
Meanwhile, all asymptomatic passengers will have to undergo quarantine for 14 days and those who don't belong to the State will have to pay for institutional quarantine. Similarly, those showing symptoms will be moved to the health facility for undergoing PCR tests. Those showing mild symptoms will be home quarantined while those with severe symptoms will be taken to hospital.
Difficulties
Meanwhile, Chennai Airport sources said the operation of aircraft would be stressful as many States have put forward restrictions on flights from Chennai.
With Kolkata operations resuming from May 28 and Telengana likely to permit air operations from May 26, there has been a restriction on operation of flights from Chennai.
It is learnt that Hyderabad has permitted not more than 15 incoming flights and 15 departures per day while Mumbai has agreed for not more that 25 incoming flights and 25 departures a day.
All other airports in Maharashtra will be handling 33 per cent of their capacity.
Spicejet has opened bookings fron Chennai to Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Coimbatore, Madurai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Indigo airlines has opened bookings from Chennai to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru. Similarly, Vistara has opened booking from Chennai to Mumbai and Delhi.
Air India has not opened any booking on May 25. It is learnt that the booking will resume after May 31.