Distributed COVID-19 essential supplies to the needy

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GMR Led Delhi and Hyderabad Airports Serve the Nation in Handling Covid-19 Essential Supplies

8 April 2020

During the widespread of Covid-19 pandemic, when countries are sealing their borders and restraining flight movements - the role of airports has become crucial in terms of facilitating evacuations and movement of essential supplies.

During this moment of truth, when the world is scared and life looks so transient, GMR Group is marching shoulder to shoulder with the Government of India in preventing further spread of Covid-19. By keeping its airports (IGIA and RGIA) operational round the clock and neutralizing any fear by ensuring Covid-19 preventive measures for its people on the ground, the group is acting with only one mission in sight - to stand by the Nation in its incessant efforts to fight the pandemic.

Though commercial airlines are completely suspended, IGIA and RGIA are still functional, as both the sister airports are handling the cargo flights to make sure essentials and medicines reach everyone so no one suffers. Obviously, this cannot happen without the support of experts who ensure that cargo flights take off. So cargo terminal operator, customs, ground staff, airside operations, Airport Operations & Control Center, Fire division, Health & Safety, and Air Traffic Control are operational all day round, rendering their services to humanity and the nation at this critical hour.

Notified as one of the essential services, Delhi and Hyderabad Air Cargo are working round the clock in close coordination with the Customs, Ground Handlers, Forwarders, CHAs (Customs House Agents), Regulators, State Police, Cargo Trade associations, to keep rolling the critical chain of essential supplies viz. Medicines, Vaccines, Medical equipment, Pharma raw material, Defense Goods, Bank related etc. seamlessly - preserving the vital supply chain for the nation.

Extraordinary situations require extraordinary solutions - DGCA's latest move of permitting cargo operations using passenger category aircraft has given the aviation industry an opportunity of utilizing the fleet of idle passenger aircrafts to meet the rising air cargo demands. As per the order, airlines are permitted for transshipment of Pharmaceuticals and food supplies boxed on seats inside passenger cabins. Having successfully handled first such flight to operate into Hyderabad on 2nd April, 2020 as per the DGCA guidelines, we remain committed to supporting continued operations of our nation's air cargo lifeline in the days to come.

It is also noteworthy that Hyderabad International Airport has been categorized as one of the 6 national hubs under Government of India's 'Lifeline Udaan' arrangement for operating medical cargo lifelines for the nation in this hour of crisis.

To ensure the safety of its personnel

The airports are leaving no stone unturned to keep the volume and labour intensive area of cargo fully sanitized round the clock. Some of the measures taken by the airports are as below:

100% screening by Infra-red Thermal Gun at entries for all incoming staff at cargo premises
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) viz. Gown, Gloves and Cap and Masks for cargo Handling Personnel
Dedicated Doctor to oversee any medical concerns
Health monitoring of all employees
Periodic fumigation of cargo terminal
Frequent cleaning of work stations and equipment having frequent human touch points
Encouraging Social Distancing among the personnel