The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here is witnessing an increase in the number of flights from all domestic sectors from June. From just over a 100 on June 1, the Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) gradually increased almost by 100% in a span of one month and touched 199 on June 27.
From about 10,000, the number of passengers in a single day has touched around 22,000 during the same period, doubling the volume in a month. The airport had also witnessed four lakh domestic passengers and around 35,000 international travellers last month, informed an official spokesman on Monday.
The airport is connected to 42 destinations in the domestic sector and 10 international sectors with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam being the top five sectors which registered largest growth in the last month. Passenger number-wise, Mumbai has recorded the highest growth at 84% during the same period.
RGIA has taken a series of measures in the past one year following the pandemic outbreak to keep the passengers and staff safe by ensuring COVID-19 protocols like double masking, social distancing norms and hand hygiene are maintained strictly in all spaces with regular announcements, with portable mikes too, are made as alerts.
Random checks are done and penalties are imposed on violators with help of 20 officials appointed as Special Police Officers (SPOs) to enforce safety guidelines. Passengers are encouraged to check-in at home or use self-service facilities such as self-check-in facility, self-bag tag facility etc., with touchless technology-enabled kiosks across the airport forecourt area and check-in halls, he informed.
Check-in process can be through QR codes, print boarding cards and get the baggage tags for bag drop without queuing up. Paperless e-boarding facility has been available for all domestic and international travellers and recently AI-enabled advanced Queue Management Solutions at entry, check-in, security and immigration with use of multiple security cameras has been introduced.
Besides, all elevators have been converted into traditional push-button controls to a safer touch-less alternative and HOI app aids in contact-less food ordering and payment service. The round-the-clock Mapmygenome, an ICMR and NABL-certified lab for COVID testing, is accessible and functional for everyone, with a separate lounge facility created for travellers’ convenience, the release added.
