Omicron scare: Airport says process smooth as travellers report hiccups

New Delhi: Operations at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport have seen several hiccups being reported by travellers since the new stricter international travel guidelines were put in place starting at 12 am on Wednesday even as airport officials said some glitches had to be ironed out following which the process was smooth.

Officials said that till Wednesday evening, around 2,000 Covid-19 tests had been conducted on those arriving from at-risk countries.

"Total 1,013 passengers from 4 'at risk' flights, successfully completed arrival formalities due to availability of Rapid PCR Test along with RT-PCR test. 792 passengers decided to take Rapid PCR Test, and 221 passengers opted for RT-PCR Test," the Delhi airport said on Wednesday morning.

Officials said that 80 per cent of passengers throughout Wednesday opted for the Rapid PCR test — which delivers results in 1.5 hours compared to 4-6 hours for an RT-PCR test but is more expensive — a complaint reported by several travellers. The officials added most people were leaving the airport within two hours — instead of the initially predicted wait of up to six hours even as many outside the airport complained of having had to wait for four to five hours.

Officials further said that there are no long queues for the tests and that the seating arrangements for 1,400 people is more than enough for the number of passengers arriving from at-risk countries, but there were reports of travellers complaining of lack of coordination and clear directions.

Meanwhile, the Capital on Wednesday reported 39 new Covid cases and zero deaths from the virus — with a daily positivity rate of 0.07 per cent. Active cases stand at 286 while the death toll is at 25,098.