Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued new Covid-19 guidelines that passengers travelling on flights without wearing face masks and not following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour properly can be de-boarded. DGCA has asked for the guidelines to be followed with immediate effect. Strict action will be taken in case of any violation.
If a passenger violates protocol despite repeated warnings then the passenger will be treated as unruly Passenger, the aviation regulator said.
Justice C. Hari Shankar on Tuesday directed the domestic airlines and DGCA to strictly comply with the Covid-19 protocols to implement mask discipline among passengers. He also said that if any passenger disobeys the guidelines, they should be either deboarded or put in no-fly regimen.
The suo moto cognizance was taken after Justice Shankar himself noticed passengers not wearing masks properly on the flight he took from Kolkata to Delhi on March 5.
As per the new guidelines issued by the aviation regulator, the in-flight crew shall carry out periodical checks on the aircraft to ensure that passengers are following the protocols, especially related to wearing masks.
Passengers shall wear masks and maintain social distancing norms at all times during air travel. The mask shall not move below the nose except under exceptional circumstances, the guideline said.
Read Also: Delhi HC’s sentence for 22-year-old: Do 1-month community service at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib