The COVID-19 is a respiratory disease and most infected people will develop mild to moderate symptoms and recover without requiring special treatment.  People who have underlying medical conditions and those over 70 years old have a higher risk of developing severe disease and death.

Common symptoms include:    

- Fever      

- Tiredness                               

- Dry cough.

Other symptoms include:

- Shortness of breath

- Aches and pains

- Sore throat

- Loss of taste/smell

With a very few people to report diarrhea, nausea or a runny nose – WHO (World Health Organization)

In order to prevent the outspread of the COVID-19 virus, we all must change our lifestyle such as the use of masks while out from home, avoid crowded places and frequent hand washing/sanitizing and this must be continued until WHO lifts the pandemic status or until the availability of proper vaccine.

While the risk of catching an infection on an aircraft is typically lower than in a shopping center or an office environment, nevertheless, the following guidelines and instructions are set forth for the health and safety of all the passengers and aviation personnel to prevent inadvertent transmission of the COVID-19:

• Practicing hand hygiene by washing them regularly with soap (for 20 seconds) or an alcohol-based sanitizer.

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• For the protection of self and others, all passengers are required to wear masks at all times while visiting BHA office premises, ticket counters, cargo counters, and airport premises. However, the exemption to the obligation to wear face masks can be made for instances where otherwise specified, such as during check-in procedure to verify the identification. Children below 2 years old and people having a medical reason for not wearing face masks can also be exempted provided face shield is worn.

• Buddha Air will endeavor to provide masks and face shields to all traveling passengers.
• The mask must be worn properly covering mouth and nose so as to prevent droplets from spreading while coughing, sneezing, and talking and should be replaced after being worn for some time (approx. for more than 4 hours) or when becoming wet and soiled. Wet, dirty, and torn masks must not be worn.
• Should the mask be disposed, it should be disposed of only in a designated area and in a proper bin in the airport terminal.
• Inside the aircraft, it should be kept in one’s possession or in a disposal bag which is kept in a seat pocket and handed over to the cabin crew member while disembarking.

• Refrain from touching your face, especially eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Refrain from unnecessary usage of baggage trolleys to avoid inadvertent transmission.
• To avoid unnecessary hassle at the airport, all traveling passengers are recommended to take body temperature reading prior to heading to the airport
• Do not travel when you are ill, have symptoms of the common cold or flu such as high temperature, fatigue, body aches, cough, running nose, breathing difficulties, shortness of breath (i.e. COVID-19 symptom), etc.
• As per WHO people over the age of 70 and pregnant women are more susceptible and are in high risk of developing severe disease and death, extra caution must be applied by such passengers and must refrain from flying if they have an underlying health condition and possess any or all of the symptoms of cold or flu.
• The stringent screening will be done at the check-in counter to identify symptomatic and highly susceptible passengers and mandatory temperature screening will be done before check-in.

• With the protection of all traveling passengers in mind, Buddha Air has implemented a no-carry policy for any passengers having ARS (Acute Respiratory Syndrome) or respiratory ailments during the Covid-19 outbreak. They will only be allowed to fly once they submit the PCR negative report which will be considered valid within 72 hours.
• Passengers with measured temperature of 380C (100.40F) or higher and suspected passengers will be handed over to the Epidemiology Disease Control Division (EDCD) Health Desk or Terminal Duty Office.
• Should you experience symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness during or after a trip, seek immediate medical attention, and share your travel history with your health care provider.
• To minimize the risk of transmission in a confined space, the onboard lavatories will be made unavailable throughout the flight, all the traveling passengers are requested to use the lavatories available at the airport premises to relieve themselves before and after the flight.  Passengers are also requested to minimize unnecessary movement in flight and refrain from touching non-essential items.
• All flight passengers are requested to maintain social distancing of one meter at airport premises, checking counters, boarding gates, while boarding buses, baggage collection, cargo offices, ticketing, and sales counters.

• Counters will be closed 15 minutes before boarding and all passengers will be informed accordingly to report at airport at least 1.5 hours before flight time for domestic flights and at least two hours before flight time for International flights.
• Boarding shall commence 30 minutes prior to flight time.

• No-show will be strictly implemented and such passengers will not be adjusted in other flights.
• Passengers will be transported from the ramp bus to the aircraft maintaining social distancing.
• All passengers shall be provided with hand sanitizers prior to boarding the aircraft. It is also recommended to carry their personal pens, and hand sanitizers and frequently use hand sanitizers as required.

• Passengers shall be embarked only 4 persons at a time following seat no. from the front.
• Passenger baggage shall be allowed as per the weight allowance without limitation on checked in baggage. Only small ladies' purse or laptop bag shall be allowed as hand carry.
• All onboard catering services shall not be made available and water shall be provided only upon request by passengers.

• Passengers will be disembarked four at a time from the rear and loaded on the ramp bus maintaining social distancing.

•  During the time of the epidemic, until further notice, no carry policy for live animals.

• Passengers are encouraged to immediately notify the nearest airlines staffs on any suspected cases and on cases when Covid-19 prevention measures are not being followed and or not properly implemented.
• This guideline shall be applicable to VIP passengers as well.
• Buddha Air pledges to implement strong action against violation of this public health initiative.
• Passengers who fail to adhere to these guidelines and instructions will be termed disruptive and will refuse access to the aircraft cabin, or disembarked.
• If the events take place before aircraft doors are shut, such disruptive passengers shall be removed from airport premises by the competent public authorities according to national/local legislation. Furthermore, subject to national requirements, they may be subject to additional actions as determined by the local authorities at the departure airport.
• Passengers who do not adhere to these guidelines and instructions in flight, the procedures relating to handling cases of unruly passengers will be applied. Further actions for endangering the flight safety and health security of the other passengers and crew members may be taken by the local authorities at the destination airport in line with national requirements.
• As per airport authority, access to airport terminals is limited to passengers only. Accompanying persons will only be provided access in special circumstances (e.g. accompanying or picking up a passenger requiring assistance – Persons with Reduced Mobility, unaccompanied minors, etc.).   As Buddha Air has uploaded these guidelines and instructions on its website as well as its ticketing system and shall presume that whoever purchases the ticket directly or through travel agents or by any means has read and understood these guidelines and instructions prior to arrival at the airport for their travel.
• Traveling passengers (domestic flight) are required to log the required information on the Declaration Form at the check-in counter.
• All domestic and international passengers are required to complete Passengers Locator Card (PLC) and submit at the health office/desk at the arrival airport.
• Passengers who make a false statement shall be subject to prosecution by the existing law of Government of Nepal.

Buddha Air shall endeavor to provide a hassle-free experience for all our traveling passengers and smoothen out all the processes from check-in, boarding, embarkation up-to baggage claim to minimize unnecessary holding and crowd at the terminals

For any suggestions and recommendations reports kindly write to [email protected] or www.buddhaair.com/feedback