Mahima
The Delhi government has ordered FIRs against four airlines Vistara, SpiceJet, IndiGo and AirAsia India for allegedly not checking covid reports of passengers flying from Maharashtra.
Airlines have responded that they are following all covid protocols and that they haven’t received any such FIR.
Delhi government issued a statement, “It has been observed that a large number of passengers are flying from Maharashtra to Delhi without a valid RT-PCR report… written to SHO of IGI Airport to lodge FIRs against four flights (possibly one each by) IndiGo, SpiceJet, Vistara and Air Asia… for carrying passengers from Maharashtra without valid RT-PCR tests.”
The Delhi government sought the action under Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The Delhi government had made it imperative for the airlines to check negative RT-PCR reports of flyers form Maharashtra.
Delhi requires passengers flying in from Maharashtra to carry a negative RT-PCR report which should not be older than 72 hours of departure and those arriving without the reports should stay in quarantine for 14 days.
During this pandemic, airlines too have enlisted their issues with the RT-PCR test reports.
There have been several instances where the report was negative but the passenger tested positive on arrival.
Since RT-PCR tests are to be taken 3-4 days prior to the travel, the possibility of passengers getting infected after the tests and before the journey exists.
An airline official remarked, “We have given strict instructions to check-in staff to follow entry requirements of all states. If someone gives a forged test report or if someone with a negative report tests positive on arrival, what can we do? Airlines are struggling to survive and the last thing we want to do is wilfully defy rules and run foul of the law also.”