The DGCA has issued an Ebola response SOP for airlines, mandating onboard alerts and self-declaration forms. The measures are aimed at early detection, passenger reporting and stronger airport surveillance in India.
India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for public health preparedness and response to Ebola disease, directing airlines to strengthen onboard surveillance and passenger screening measures.
Under the new guidelines, airlines have been instructed to ensure mandatory filing and collection of Self-Declaration Forms (SDF) from all passengers originating from or transiting through Ebola-affected countries before de-boarding.
The DGCA has also made it compulsory for airlines to broadcast specific health announcements during flights to help identify possible Ebola cases early and prevent the spread of the disease.
Passengers have been asked to immediately report symptoms such as fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, or bleeding to airline crew members as well as immigration or medical authorities upon arrival.
The in-flight announcement will inform travellers that early reporting is important for prompt diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of transmission.
According to the SOP, all travellers, including passengers and crew members irrespective of nationality, will be required to fill out self-declaration forms and submit them at designated immigration or health counters on arrival in India.
The DGCA also directed airlines to advise travellers that if Ebola-related symptoms develop within 21 days of arrival in India, they should immediately seek medical assistance at designated hospitals and inform airport health authorities.
