New Delhi, June 24: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday issued a circular regarding the handling of unruly passengers onboard the flight amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In the circular, the DGCA listed new issues which may happen onboard the flight in times of coronavirus pandemic, and said the cabin crew should be made aware of these things. This includes a situation when a passenger refuses to wear a face mask. Home Quarantine Mandatory for Cabin Crew Who Come in Contact with COVID-positive Person: DGCA.

"Cabin crew should be made aware of news issues, which may be encountered on-board including, passengers refusing to continue wearing a face mask/covering in-flight....fear of infection which may cause more disputes between passengers due to non-compliance of poor hygiene etiquette, or the presence of symptoms similar to those associated with COVID-19," said the DGCA in its circular. Airlines to Try Keeping Middle Seats Empty, If Not Possible, Then Passenger to be Provided With 'Wraparound Gown', Says DGCA.

"The handling of on-board unruly passengers should include reiteration of the enforcement mechanism of the operator. Operators should develop inflight cabin crew training procedures to ensure passengers adhere to the health and safety guidelines e.g. wearing face mask/protective gear at all times on board the aeroplane and maintain high levels of hygiene," the aviation regulator added.

DGCA Circular For On-Board Handling of Unruly Passengers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic:

The DGCA circular further asked airlines to frame standard operating procedure (SOP) for onboard handling of unruly passengers. On Monday, it said only those cabin crew members who come in direct contact with a COVID-positive person onboard a flight will be sent for mandatory 14-day home quarantine.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 24, 2020 08:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).