New Delhi: The Central government on Monday discontinued the Air Suvidha form which had to be mandatorily filled by all international passengers arriving in India.
Basically a self-declaration form, international passengers had to disclose current health status, recent travel details, etc. in the online Air Suvidha form which was completely paperless.
It was often a painful exercise for several passengers who didn’t fill the form beforehand. Many of them realized it was mandatory only after reaching the airport for their journey, and had to fill it before being allowed to check in.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement that the decision to discontinue the self-declaration will come into effect on November 22.
Hence, people flying into India from abroad will no longer have to fill the Air Suvidha form from November 21-22 midnight and will also not be required to take an RT-PCR test.
Passengers, including children of five years and above, had to undergo RT-PCR tests before boarding a flight back to India since the COVID-19 pandemic broke in early 2020.
That was a costly affair as the charge for RT-PCR cost abroad is much higher than in India.
It is also no longer mandatory for international passengers arriving in India to be vaccinated, though it remains preferable.
Last week, the Centre made wearing masks optional – though preferable — for passengers travelling on domestic and international flights.
Passengers who are found to be symptomatic during screening will be immediately isolated, and taken to a designated medical facility.
