New Delhi: GMR group-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has come up with an exit plan for airlines post lockdown under which, it has been decided to resume commercial passenger flights at Delhi airport initially from Terminal 3.

A senior official of its operator DIAL on Sunday stated that entry gates, self-check-in machines and check-in bays will be allocated to airlines to avoid overcrowding by air travellers and ensure smooth flow of passengers from the forecourt into check-in hall and security thereafter.

Going by the exit plan, the airport will keep all food, beverage and retail shops open to avoid overcrowding at one place and use "ultraviolet disinfection tunnels" for all incoming baggage.

The plan further said the passengers of Vistara and IndiGo would enter the airport through gates 1 and 2 only. These two airlines will have check-in rows A, B and C among them. AirAsia India and Air India passengers will use entry gates 3 and 4. These passengers will then go to rows D, E and F where the staff of these two airlines would assist them check-in, according to the plan. SpiceJet and GoAir passengers would enter through gate 5 towards the staff of these two airlines at rows G and H for check-in.

Passengers of all other domestic airlines will enter through gate 5 and will head to row H, the plan said, adding that all international airlines' passengers would be entering the airport using gates 6, 7 and 8. The staff of these airlines would be sitting at rows J, K, L and M for check-in at Terminal 3.

"Initially, once the lockdown is over, the commercial passenger fights will be operating from Terminal 3 only. Later, once the number of flights increase, other terminals will be used," the DIAL official said.

All commercial passenger flights have been suspended for the lockdown period. However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA are allowed to operate.

To curb the spread of deadly coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a three week nationwide lockdown since March 25 which was further extended till May 3 and the again for a period of two more weeks - May 17.

The novel coronavirus has infected nearly 40,000 people and killed more than 1,300 people in the country till now.

(With inputs from PTI news agency)