HYDERABAD: Domestic flight operations resumed in Andhra Pradesh as the first Spicejet plane from Bengaluru landed at Vijayawada airport early Tuesday with 79 passengers.

Airport Director G Madhusudhana Rao said the aircraft returned to Bengaluru at 7.40 AM carrying 68 passengers. The airport also received an Indigo flight from Bengaluru with 48 passengers and departed with 50 travellers, a news agency reported.

All the passengers who landed in the state had to register their details with the state government's 'spandana' website (spandana.ap.gov.in) and they were handled as per standard operating procedures laid out by the Civil Aviation Ministry, Rao said.

"As Bengaluru is a non-high sensitive area (as far as COVID-19 cases are concerned), the passengers who landed here were advised home quarantine for seven days. In case of high-sensitive areas the passengers will have to undergo either institutional quarantine or paid quarantine," Rao was quoted saying to a channel.

The second flight too 6E-7204 of @IndiGo6E landed @aaivjaairport at 0820 from Banglr with 48 pax. Disinfectation carried out in between flight to flight gaps. The flight departed back to Banglr with 50 pax. @AAI_Official @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @AAIRHQSR pic.twitter.com/NxAWYMj4mG
— Airport Director, Vijayawada International Airport (@aaivjaairport) May 26, 2020

The Andhra Pradesh government has made seven-day institutional quarantine mandatory for people flying in from Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as these places are high COVID-19 incidence areas.

Last week, the Centre had announced resumption of domestic flight services from May 25 under specific rules and guidelines like a cap on ticket pricing, wearing of face masks by passengers, and making available details of medical conditions by travellers through the Aarogya Setu app or by filling up of a self-declaration form.

Many states have expressed serious reservations about the Centre's decision to start flight services.

Also Read | AP COVID-19 Update May 26: 2,719 Cases, 1,903 Recovered