Guwahati airport following SoPs to handle passenger traffic amid pandemic
Nov 30, 2020
Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 30 : Gateway to northeast India -- Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati -- is a major connectivity point, which experiences huge passenger traffic round-the-year.
The challenge to handle the crowd grew significantly as the COVID-19 disease has spread out to all corners of the world.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) laid out protective layers across all airports including the Guwahati Airport to keep corona at bay. A host of safety measures were introduced and enforced.
Right from the entry gates to the flight take-off, all touchpoints are regularly and repeatedly sanitised at the airport.
Ramesh Kumar, Airport Director, Guwahati International Airport said, "We have been doing hectic work in regard to sanitisation, touch-free entries, cleaning of all touch-points. We have been following all SOPs (standard operating procedures) suggested by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Assam government."
The authorities also ensured that the orderly and cautious process did not turn out to be an inconvenience.
A large portion of pre-travel paperwork has been shifted online so that the passengers could move without panic at the airport.
Manir Alam, a passenger said, "The safety situation at the airport is perfect. Security and cleaning process is accurate. The arrangements made by the Airports Authority of India are laudable. We are happy with that."
Mukand, another passenger said, "The entry has been hassle-free so I have yet to check-in but I am sure it will be a similar experience".
The airport, in order to meet its futuristic demands, is also working to expand its infrastructure. A new integrated building at the cost of Rs 1,232 crore is being constructed.
Once ready, the new terminal building will be capable of handling 4,300 domestic and 200 international passengers at peak hours, thereby enhancing the annual capacity from 6 million to 10 million.
With multiple check-in counters, self-check kiosk, baggage carousels, in-line baggage security screening system and aero bridges, the terminal will also be an energy-efficient building.
The new terminal building is scheduled to be ready by June 2022.
