Unhappy With The Rule Change, UK Returnees Complain And Argue With Security Personnel At Delhi Airport Creating A Ruckus

UK returnees were angry at the national capital government’s sudden rule change, which made seven institutional quarantine compulsory, in addition to the seven day home quarantine irrespective of the test results.

Air India on Sunday reduced the fares for flights in and out of Srinagar, with Srinagar-Delhi tickets priced at Rs 6,715 and Delhi-Srinagar at Rs 6,899 till August 15. (PTI)

New Delhi: On Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that travellers coming from the UK to the national capital will have to undergo a seven-day institutional quarantine and a seven-day home quarantine even if they test negative for COVID-19 on arrival. A measure taken to curb the spread of the new strain of Coronavirus, which emerged from the UK. Air India's AI112 flight from London landed at the Delhi airport at around 10.30 AM on Friday returned with 256 passengers, which was the only UK flight scheduled for the day. Returnees who were held at the airport were angry complained about at the late decision making on the Delhi government’s part, creating chaos at the airport. Passenger flights resumed from the UK to India in limited numbers from Friday onwards after remaining suspended for 16 days. Sources said there were heated arguments between the passengers and security personnel who were present at the airport. According to a PTI report, a passenger of the flight, named Harpreet Takkar, tagged Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Twitter and said, "Just came from London AI112, it's absolutely maniac at Delhi Airport. Asking us to go for institutional quarantine even with a Negative PCR test. Didn't mention this on your SOP (standard operating procedure)." Similarly, another passenger, Mohit Wadhwa, tagged Kejriwal on Twitter and said, "I am one of the passenger of flight AI112 from London with my 2 months old son. You locked every one of us." However, Air India claimed on Twitter on Friday evening that it had informed the flight's passengers about the new advisory of the Delhi government before the plane took off from the Heathrow airport last night.

(4/6) Around 20 passengers opted to cancel their flight on being informed by Air India London team of this advisory. The announcement was repeated during the flight as well.

— Air India (@airindiain) January 8, 2021

Earlier this month, Aviation Minister Puri announced only 30 flights per week will operate between India and the UK between January 8^th and January 23^rd 2021. Indian and UK carriers will each be operating 15 flights per week during the period. On Saturday, Vistara flight with 291 passengers will come from London to Delhi and on Sunday a British Airways and an Air India flight — with a total of 481 passengers will land at the Delhi airport on Sunday. The Union Health Ministry stated that passengers coming from the UK can board a flight to India only when he has a negative test report from a sample taken 72 hours prior to the journey. Additionally, the passenger also has to take the RT-PCR test on arrival at the entry airport in India.