If you’re been taking the mask mandates lightly at the airport and in the aircraft, this one is for you. According to the new DGCA guidelines, those found without masks will be termed “unruly” and put on the no-fly list, starting June 8. By Anushka Goel
According to the latest guidelines by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), wearing a mask is mandatory for the time you are in an aircraft or at an airport. The new rules were issued on Wednesday, June 8, and the passengers found violating these rules will be termed “unruly”, the update from the DGCA adds.
Wearing a mask mandatory at the airport, in aircrafts
According to the rules, those found violating the mask mandate may also be put on the ‘no-fly’ list. If passengers repeatedly refuse to cover up their faces and do not follow the COVID-19 safety protocols that have been put in place, they run the risk of being asked to deboard the aircraft, and at the airports, they will be subject to fines, before being handed over to security agencies.
The new rules come after a June 3 order by the Delhi High Court, calling for strict action against all mask violators and those who do not follow hand hygiene norms in these spaces. The High Court order had stated, “DGCA should issue separate binding directions to all staff persons deployed at the airports and in the aircraft, including flight attendants, air hostesses, captains/pilots and others, to take strict action against passengers and others who violate the masking and hygiene norms,” writes The Telegraph.
According to the rules, masks can be removed in exceptional circumstances, implying that one can only remove the face covering when in need to eat and drink on the aircraft or at airports. Further, in case a passenger needs an extra mask, the airlines must be able to provide the same, the rules add.
These steps come as necessary at a time when the country (and the world) are still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Mask mandates and hand hygiene are the easiest and the most effective ways to keep COVID-19 at bay, and will help curb the virus.
Related: Booked A Long Haul Flight? Here’s How You can Keep Yourself Entertained
Anushka has previously worked with publications such as the Times of India and Being Indian. A graduate from Xavier Institute of Communications, she specialises in entertainment, food and travel. She also likes to write about sustainability and beauty. When not working, you can catch her reading a book, tending to her plants, cooking or playing an instrument.
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