A covid guide to flying through an exasperating jumble of rules
Air travel during these covid times is deeply worrying for Indians. All airline websites have a must-read page about rules announced by the state you are travelling to—from downloading that state’s app (many states have their own apps) to quarantine regulations. Plus, there are Union government rules—you need to have Aarogya Setu showing a green signal, you have to have baggage tags printed out and stuck on your luggage, and elderly citizens—above 65—are advised not to travel unless it’s an emergency.
I have taken three domestic flights in the last one month. I have grave doubts whether these state apps actually exist, because no official at any airport has asked me about them. “Apps” could just be the latest sarkari buzzword. Of the three airports I went to, only Delhi asked me for a green Aarogya Setu. When I had to fly back with my mother from Kolkata to Delhi, I bought her a smartphone just to load Aarogya Setu on it. No one in Kolkata airport checked. Well, I suppose she can, if she wants to, now learn the joys of selfies and WhatsApp. My mother is 80, and it was emergency travel, so I got a doctor’s certificate to that effect. No one asked for anything.
