Mumbai’s CSMIA Ramps Up Safety Measures Against Omicron

Dec. 1, 2021
Additional facilities and arrangements in place for passenger convenience and travel advisory in view of the latest Government of India and Government of Maharashtra guidelines.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has put in place all necessary measures to implement the Ministry of Health’s latest COVID-19 guidelines on international passengers arriving in India. This follows the World Health Organisation’s announcement that Omicron (B.1.1.529) has been classified as a COVID-19 Variant of Concern. The new guidelines take effect from 1 December 2021.

Passengers planning to travel to or through India must submit on the Air Suvidha online portal a self-declaration form with their travel details of the past 14 days, a copy of their passport, a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report no older than 72 hours before their journey, and a declaration of authenticity of the test report.

Children under 5 years of age are exempted from both pre-arrival and post-arrival testing unless found symptomatic for COVID-19 on arrival or during the home quarantine period.

All passengers are advised to check the new travel norms well in advance of their journey. Detailed guidelines are available at (GOMCovid19ORDER_30_11_2021.pdf (adaniairports.com)

CSMIA has made elaborate arrangements, including additional testing and resting facilities, for the safety and convenience of arriving passengers. Larger waiting and seating areas with necessary amenities, additional counters and booths for registration and sampling, and more ground staff for faster passenger processing are among the many enhanced safety and convenience measures put in place to handle international passengers.  

The details of the procedures followed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport are listed as below:

MUMBAI – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport

Adhering to the latest directive issued by the State Government, w.e.f 01.12.201, CSMIA are prepared with following readiness: 

1. Arriving passengers from high-risk countries will be segregated from passengers arriving from low-risk countries.

2. Passengers arriving from at risk countries (as declared by GOI order dated 30th Nov, 2021) shall have to undergo mandatory 7-day institutional quarantine and RTPCR test to be carried out on Day 2, Day 4 and Day 7 at the quarantine facility. If any of the tests are found to be positive, then the passenger shall be shifted to a hospital. In case all the tests come negative; the passenger will have to undergo a further 7days of home quarantine.

3. Passengers from any other countries except the at-risk countries will have to compulsorily undergo RTPCR test at CSMIA on arrival and on being found negative will have to undergo 14 days of home quarantine. If found positive, they will be shifted to the hospital.

4. Adequate RT-PCR testing facility in international arrivals in form of 48 registration counters & 40 sampling booths.

5. Four laboratories for RT-PCR testing/ Rapid PCR in international arrivals. They are:

·       Lifenity

·       Suburban Diagnostics

·       Acu-MDx (Mylabs)

·       Northstar

6. In addition to standard RT-PCR, 30 Rapid PCR machines are available for the passengers having connecting onward flights with short connecting time. This facility will be upscaled further if required.

7. Passengers can pre-book their RTPCR / Rapid PCR test at the following weblinks

·       Northstar (as of now only Rapid PCR. They will soon add RTPCR) – https://bit.ly/3uozZ18

·       Suburban – https://www.suburbandiagnostics.com/book-test/

·       Lifenity – https://disha.lifenitywellness.com/EhatEnterprise/ehat_online_registration.jsp

8. Passengers who have not done their pre-booking of RT-PCR test online, QR codes have been displayed at various locations in the arrival corridor.

9. Physical forms for RT-PCR registration are made available to passengers on board with help of airlines and can be filled out before disembarking from flight to avoid queuing for the registration on arrival.

10. A large sitting area for the passengers awaiting their RT-PCR results has been be activated with amenities like washrooms, food and beverage.

11. CSMIA has also sensitized relevant stakeholders on the new guidelines and the added facilities for passengers’ convenience.

12. Passengers are required to be taken to quarantine / hotel facility as per the GoM guidelines, dated 30th November 2021, a dedicated transportation lobby is available and dedicated buses have been made available for the same with help of MCGM.

13. MCGM has arranged adequate number of beds ready for institutional quarantine (self-paid hotels / free MCGM facility).

14. In case of an International passenger having a connecting flight to any other airport in India, without leaving the airport at all, passenger shall undergo an RTPCR test at the first arrival airport in Maharashtra and only on being found negative will be allowed to board the connecting flight.  At CSMIA, both standard RTPCR and Rapid PCR is available.

15. In case such a passenger is taking a connecting flight to an airport in Maharashtra, passenger shall be subjected to quarantine at the first landing airport.

16. In case of domestic air travel, passenger traveling within the state of Maharashtra will either need to be fully vaccinated or compulsorily carry a negative RTPCR test within 48 hours of the time of arrival.

17. In case of passengers from other states traveling to Maharashtra, a negative RTPCR test within 48 hours of arrival will be compulsory without exception.