All commercial flights will initially be operating out of Terminal 3. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

To ensure social distancing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport once the lockdown is lifted, the Delhi Airport International Limited (DIAL) has decided that entry gates, self check-in machines and check-in bays will be allocated to airlines to avoid overcrowding by air travellers, and commercial passengers flights will initially operate from Terminal-3.

“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,” states a plan prepared by DIAL, which they released Sunday.

As per the plan, 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,” an officer said.

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 head to row H.

All international airlines’ passengers would enter using gates 6, 7 and 8. The staff of these airlines would be at rows J, K, L and M for check-in at Terminal 3.

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

“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.

DIAL would also prepare stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs) for food, beverage and retail shops in order to ensure social distancing. The operator will promote digital payments and digital menus at various outlets to minimise human contact. It will also encourage usage of self-ordering kiosks at the food court to reduce queues.