The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday said crew members of a flight who test positive for Covid-19 but are asymptomatic need to isolate themselves at home for 10 days, and can be declared fit for flying again by their medical supervisor.

If Covid-positive crew members have ‘mild symptoms’, they will “continue home isolation and will stand discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and no fever for three days”, DGCA said in a circular, adding there is no need for “testing after the home isolation period is over”.

“However, if the isolation period for mildly symptomatic crew members is more than 14 days, they have to be examined by DGCA empanelled Class-1 examiner and crew is fit to fly if the examiner declares so,” said the circular.

The circular, dated December 18, said that Covid-19 positive crew members with moderate and severe symptoms have to undergo special medical examination following their complete clinical recovery, at one of the Indian Air Force boarding centres to obtain their “cure certificate”.

“Once declared ‘fit for flying’ at the IAF boarding centre, the air crew can commence flying only after DGCA medical assessment is issued,” the circular stated.

The regulator said the December 18 circular supersedes the June 22 circular which mentioned that only those cabin crew members who come in direct contact with a Covid-positive person onboard a flight will be sent for mandatory 14-day home quarantine.

The June 22 circular superseded a March 23 circular of the DGCA that had made it mandatory for the airlines to put the entire crew of a flight under home quarantine for 14 days in case anyone aboard was found to be Covid-positive.