Vande Bharat Phase 2: 16 flights to land at KIA

The second phase of the Vande Bharat Mission evacuation flights will see at least 16 flights land at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here from May 16 to 22. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced that the second phase will operate simultaneously with the ongoing first phase flights.

Indians stranded in the United States could hop onto the scheduled repatriation flights from Washington DC, JFK New York and San Francisco to arrive at KIA. The flight from Washington will continue till Ahmedabad while the one from San Francisco will take flyers up to Hyderabad.

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For those stuck in Canada, the Air India flights will take off from Vancouver and Toronto. Both flights will terminate in Hyderabad after dropping off passengers at KIA. Also on the second phase agenda are flights to KIA from Melbourne, Paris, Jakarta, Dhamam, Manila, Muscat, Kuala Lumpur, Doha, Frankfurt and Dublin.

All arriving passengers are required to undergo institutional quarantine for 14 days at their cost. Five and three-star hotels and resorts and budget hotels have been arranged by the government. Over 360 passengers who landed by the first phase flights from London and Singapore are already in quarantine.

Hygiene boost at KIA

To boost safety of both arriving and departing passengers, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has meanwhile upgraded its social distancing, thermal screening, sanitisation and disinfection tunnels at KIA. The Terminal is fumigated and contactless F&B experience introduced.

Social distancing has been enforced across the parking areas besides at security checkpoints. “Efforts are underway to minimise wait time and avoid crowding at the kerb. Employees will undergo regular screening both at the beginning and end of shifts,” a BIAL spokesperson said.

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Passengers are encouraged to use online check-in and bring an electronic or printed boarding pass to avoid contact with high-touch surfaces and queues at check-in counters. They could also print boarding passes at the Departure Gates or inside the Terminal. “The Aarogya Setu app is now mandatory for passengers to download before they enter the Terminal.”

Hand sanitisers are placed at nearly 500 locations across the Terminal. “The 155,000 sqm Terminal, Airside and Landside infrastructure have undergone multiple rounds of deep cleaning and sanitisation.

Disinfectant is sprayed every four hours at Immigration counters, elevators, lounges, ancillary buildings, office spaces of various departments at the Terminal, apart from manual cleaning. The CISF Barracks, located at the Airport premises, are disinfected every 12 hours, BIAL informed.