HYDERABAD: Around 1,600 people came into Telangana from various parts of the country on Monday, the first day of the commencement of commercial flights after the two-month lockdown. However, close to 45 flights that were scheduled to leave from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) were cancelled, mostly to states of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
In addition to that, many passengers had to leave close to six-seven hours before their flight timings as many did not find cabs or other modes of transport during the curfew hours. Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar visited the RGIA on Monday morning to take stock of the situation, and said, “We have taken care of every aspect to safeguard the health of passengers. Close to 1,600 people have come into Telangana today via flights. Over 38 flights landed in Telangana and taken off to various parts of the country. We have made sure that Arogya Setu app is a must for every passenger travelling via RGIA.”
The Chief Secretary further added that none of the passengers who entered and exited the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport had any symptoms of Covid-19. According to a GMR RGIA spokesperson, the airport handle 20 departures and 19 arrivals on Monday with an approximate passenger load of 3,000. “TruJet’s 2T 623 was the first flight to depart on May 25. It took off from here at 8.06 am with 12 passengers on board to Vidyanagar in Karnataka. AirAsia India I5 1576 was the first flight to arrive. It landed at 8.20 am on Monday from Bengaluru with 106 passengers bound for Hyderabad.”
The flights to West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh were cancelled, as Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, tweeted on Sunday, “It has been a long day of hard negotiations with various stated to recommence civil aviation operations in the country. Except Andhra Pradesh which will start on 26/5 & West Bengal on 28/5, domestic flights will recommence across the country from tomorrow (sic).”
Speaking to Express, Sayantan, a techie returning to Kolkata from Hyderabad, said, “We reached the airport almost 12 hours earlier on May 24, by 7 pm. Our flight was at 6 am on May 25.”
No passenger had Covid-19 symptoms
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, who visited the RGIA on Monday morning to take stock of the situation, said that none of the passengers who entered and exited the airport had any symptoms of Covid-19