A friend of mine had to travel to India urgently for personal reasons and he boarded one of the Air India Covid-19 “Evacuation Flights”. India has been running these evacuation flights for its citizens who want to return home to safety or because of canceled student visas, etc.
Interesting times with a new set of rules and procedures…
Air India did not serve any food on the plane. The passengers were given three boxes upon boarding and they were asked to manage the rations. There was no in-flight entertainment.
Air India also provided additional protective gear on board and the passenger in the middle seat had to wear a full-length coat that acted as an insulation for the other two passengers! (I hope the bathrooms work… are there any attendants to clean them?!)
Masks, Masks, and more Masks. They need to spend 18 hours on the plane until they appear before a magistrate in India to prove that they don’t have Covid-19 to enter the country!!
What can regular travelers expect?
You will be quarantined in an airport vicinity hotel for seven days. You can make travel arrangements for your onward journey to your actual destination only after the seven day period. There is an exception made for bereaving travelers who are going to attend a funeral – you get to clear the customs and all the checks within a couple of hours and you can board the next plane soon after.
Also, take into account that you need to take a Covid-19 certificate with you before you can board the plane. Testing in the US takes about a week for the results to be communicated. So if you have to reach a specific international destination, you should plan for a fourteen-day lead time. Seven days for testing in the US + seven days quarantine overseas upon landing + travel time. The Human Supply Chain during the Pandemic….
Globalization here we come!
Also Read: Italy vs the world – Does coronavirus no longer clinically exist?
