No mask: Flyers to be put on 'no fly' list for 3 months

New Delhi: Passengers refusing to wear a mask properly during a flight can be de-boarded or could be placed on a no fly list for a period of three months to two years or more, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Saturday. Also, passengers not following Covid-19 protocol despite repeated warnings will be handed over to security agencies.

The DGCA circular comes days after Delhi high court took suo moto cognisance and registered a writ petition in this regard after Justice C. Hari Shankar found passengers not wearing masks during a flight. The court had said that if a passenger, despite being reminded more than once in flight, refuses to follow this protocol, then action should be taken against the passenger, including placing the passenger on a “no-fly” regimen, either permanently or for a stipulated time. Observing that some passengers after entering the airport do not wear their mask properly and maintain social distance while being in the airport, the DGCA said that some passengers have been noticed not wearing their masks properly while on board the aircraft.

“On board the aircraft, in case any passenger does not adhere to wearing a mask properly even after repeated warnings, he/she should be de-boarded, if need be, before departure. In the case of any passenger on board an aircraft refusing to wear a mask or violates the ‘Covid-19 Protocol for passengers’ even after repeated warnings, during the course of the flight, such passengers may be treated as ‘Unruly’ passengers,” the DGCA circular said. The move was felt to be necessary to contain the rising cases of Covid-19. On Saturday India registered 24, 882 new cases and 140 deaths, which also the highest daily rise in the last 83 days. As many as 26,624 new infections were recorded on December 20.

Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and MP reported 87.72 per cent of the new cases in the last 24 hours.  Maharashtra accounts for 63.57% of India’s total active cases. Considering the recent spike, the Pune administration has directed schools and colleges to remain shut till March 31 and curtailed the operating time for hotels and restaurants.