Compulsion of Air Suvidha for incoming international arrivals is a good step to further prevent the catastrophe: Jyoti Mayal

THE VOICE OF CHANDIGARH | TRAVEL TRADE REPORTER:

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Health and Family welfare have made it mandatory for all international passengers arriving in India to declare their current health status prior to boarding on the Air Suvidha Portal. The exemption forms from the Air Suvidha Portal have been discontinued, and filling of the details have been made compulsory for all international arrivals in India.

Commenting on this, Jyoti Mayal, President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said, “Air Suvidha is first of its kind ‘digital portal for easing international passenger arrival in India; developed by MoCA which aids passengers in providing their details of travel and final stay along with RTPCR, vaccination status. Therefore, making it mandatory for incoming international arrivals is definitely a good step to further prevent the catastrophe stated Mayal, President TAAI.

“Updates like segregation of passengers from at-risk countries to normal countries by singling them out with a red band and marking with ‘H’ while associating the green colour with the latter, keeping a tap on passengers journey in the last 14 days, updating the FAQ list are some of the ‘in time’ decisions which might bring down the risk of virus spread,” mentioned Jay Bhatia, Vice President, TAAI.

There also have been changes made to the list of passengers arriving/transiting from countries at risk, “Submitting self -declaration form on the portal, uploading RTPCR status, self -quarantining for seven days and retesting on the eight-day are necessary requirements in the way to avoid shutting down of newly opened tourism sector after a long halt” commented Bettiah Lokesh, HSG, TAAI.

Shreeram Patel, Treasurer, TAAI also supported the government’s decision of making such a process mandatory in view of the rising coronavirus and said that this would somewhere benefit the travel trade and people in general.

Countries like South Africa, Brazil, China, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Israel, Botswana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, Tanzania, Hong Kong are the marked ones from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India including the post-arrival testing.