Flights may resume with empty seats

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) has issued guidelines for air operators, airports and passengers as part of its efforts to resume flight operations on domestic and international routes on a limited scale after May 16.

The flight operations will resume only if the Covid-19 situation improves or remains steady, Caab Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said they asked all airlines to keep at least 25 percent seats vacant on each flight to ensure social distancing, which is crucial to avoid coronavirus transmission.

In its guidelines, the regulatory authority of the country's civil aviation also asked the air operators to keep at least a gap of a seat between two passengers, he said. "In case a passenger is travelling with husband or wife or any other family member, this will not be mandatory.

"We have issued detailed directives for the air operators, passengers and airport authorities on May 10, outlining the guidelines to follow during flight operations"

Talking to this correspondent, top officials of different private airlines, however, said the airfare would go up significantly if they were to follow all the guidelines, making it hard for them to make profits or even survive.

Asked, the Caab boss acknowledged that the fares would increase. "But if the airlines can carry 70 percent passengers against their capacity, they will be able to make profit or reach the break-event point financially," he said. The break-even point is the production level where total revenues equal total expenses.

He also said, "At this time, we have no alternative than to remain more careful about people's safety. The profit of the airlines comes after that.

"We are preparing to resume domestic and international flight operations after May 16 if the coronavirus situation improves by that time. But we will open airport operation partially, not fully." 

Asked to elaborate, the CAAB chairman said, "We will allow local and foreign airlines to operate flights on a limited scale."

For example, he said, the local airlines would be asked to operate one or two flights to and from Dhaka daily.

"We are also working on ensuring health safety of all concerned, including passengers, officials and other employees at airports, pilots and crew members," said Mafidur.

"Besides, we have asked officials of all domestic airports to carry out disinfecting activities on a regular basis.

Caab on April 27 extended the ongoing ban on passenger flight operations with all countries, except China, until May 16 to contain the transmission of Covid-19 in Bangladesh.

The countries include Bahrain, Bhutan, Hong Kong, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE and the UK.

Flight operations on domestic routes also remain suspended until May 16.

However, cargo flights, air ambulances, emergency landing activity, special flights, and relief carrying flights are outside the purview of the ban.

CAAB GUIDELINES

According to the Caab guidelines, the frontal or the last row of seats on each flight must remain vacant for carrying any passenger to be found suspected of contracting coronavirus.

All staffers of airlines will have to wear masks, gloves and disposable head caps while dealing with passengers at the check-in counters, shows the Caab website.

Crew members will avoid close contact with passengers and provide only the necessary in-flight services to them.

The operators will not serve food and drinks on flights with a travel time of less than one and a half hours.

For medium and long-haul flights, a normal meal should be served to passengers. All types of baby foods are exempted from restrictions.

In case any passenger is found with Covid-19 symptoms, crew members should immediately contact the destination airport and hand the passenger to them after landing taking support from the local authorities.

Passengers will stand in queues in front of the check-in counters maintaining social distancing. Their body temperature will be measured.

Flight crew will wear surgical masks or masks of higher standard and caps.

Cabin crew will wear N95 or equivalent protection facial masks, goggles, disposable rubber gloves and change facial masks every four hours, according to the guidelines.