Hyd airport footfall increases by 5,000

Airport officials say will take months for normalcy to return as flyers stay away

The footfall of domestic passengers at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Shamshabad, went up by a mere 5,000 in the last one month, taking their total number — both arriving and departing Hyderabad — to 20,000 per day. Airport authorities anticipate that it would take several months for complete normalcy to be restored.

Airport sources told Deccan Chronicle that though the number of passengers is increasing at a slow rate ever since services resumed on May 25, passengers are still skeptical about air travel amid fears that airports are among the Covid-19 hotspots. The current footfall is being described as a “positive sign.” Before the pandemic, about 60,000 passengers, a major chunk of them domestic flyers, used to fly in and out of Hyderabad every day.

“Newer destinations are being added as there is a demand from passengers. On Monday, Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) was added and plans are afoot to connect Hyderabad with a few more destinations. This would see an increase in the footfall in the days to come,” sources said.

When flight services were resumed, the footfall was around 3,000 per day in the first few weeks which rose to around 13,000 at the end of July and 15,000 by mid-August.

“In the first two months, most flyers opted for road travel. Now, people are confident of the measures being taken at the airport and therefore the increase in numbers,” they said adding that several months after the pandemic, people are themselves taking precautions to keep the Coronavirus at bay. Air traffic movement has also increased.

For a few weeks post-May

25, there were close to 40 air traffic movements which gradually went up to

150 per day.

It stands at about 200 now, which includes arrival and departures. All domestic flyers are being thermally screened. Those with fever (temperature above 98.7ºF) are referred to the health officials stationed at the airport where they are subjected to further examination. Based on their assessment, passengers may or may not be allowed to board the flight though sources suggest that of late the authorities have become lenient and are allowing passengers who assure them of undergoing home quarantine.

In the case of arrivals, passengers with high temperature and symptoms are being referred to Gandhi or other government hospitals for swab tests.

There is no mechanism to ensure they visit those hospitals or make their own arrangements once they are outside the airport. “Not every passenger who is running a temperature is Covid-19 positive,” sources said.

The safety measures taken up by the airport authorities has done little to build confidence among the flyers.

“The airport is sanitised every day including deep cleaning and the airconditioning systems have been reconfigured to ensure better indoor air quality,” they said adding that measures like contactless boarding, staggered seating arrangements and disinfectant tunnels for baggage have been put in place.