COVID-19: DGCA asks airlines not to carry passengers from countries prohibited by govt

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday issued a notification directing all airlines not to allow passengers from coronavirus-affected countries prohibited by the government to board the plane.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday issued a notification directing all airlines not to allow passengers from coronavirus-affected countries prohibited by the government to board the plane. According to additional advisory which is issued in accordance with the instructions of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it has been made mandatory for passengers coming from/transiting through to undergo compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days.

"Travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom to India is prohibited with effect from 18th March 2020. No airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on 18th March 2020. The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure," read the circular. The DGCA said that the above-mentioned instructions are temporary measures and shall be in force till 31st March 2020 and will be reviewed subsequently.The move is a part of an effort to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

"All scheduled Indian and foreign airlines engaged in international air transportation to/from India, therefore, are directed to scrupulously follow the above advisory and not to carry any passenger in violation thereof," it added. The circular comes a day after the government announced that travellers from the European Union, Turkey and the United Kingdom are prohibited from March 18.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and said that Europe has emerged as the new epicentre of the disease. The government has decided to go into a partial lockdown as it ordered the shut down of all educational institutions, places of social gatherings like swimming pools, spas, gyms, museums and cultural centres.

Earlier, the government had suspended all visas to prevent the spread of the virus which has claimed over 6000 lives. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)