Flyers alert! You'll be de-boarded if you don't wear mask

The direction from the ministry comes at a time when Covid-19 cases are surging across the country

Air travelers refusing to wear masks and follow Covid-19 protocol during a flight could find themselves on 'no-fly list', according to the directives issued by the civil aviation regulator on Saturday.

The stringent order by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) came in the wake of observations by the Delhi High Court to the effect after a judge found rampant violations of Covid-19 protocol on a Kolkata-Delhi flight earlier this month.

“In case any passenger does not adhere to wearing of mask properly even after repeated warnings, he/she should be deboarded, if need be, before departure,” the DGCA order said.

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It also asked airport directors and terminal managers to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol at airports and hand over violators, after proper warnings, to security agencies.

“In case, any passenger on board an aircraft refuses to wear a mask or violates 'Covid-19 Protocol for Passengers' even after repeated warnings, during the course of the flight, such passenger may be treated as 'unruly passenger' and the procedure in respect of handling such unruly passenger, as provided in the civil aviation requirements (CAR), shall be followed by the concerned airline,” it said.

The CAR section 3 series M (vi) provides for putting unruly passengers on a no-fly list for varying periods ranging from three months to two years.

The directive also instructed CISF or police personnel deployed at the entrance of the airport to make sure no one is allowed to enter the airport without wearing a mask.

“The mask shall not be moved below the nose except under exceptional circumstances,” the DGCA circular read.