More than 30 flights are expected to land at LGBI Airport at Borjhar on Monday and over 2,500 passengers set to disembark, after the resumption of domestic flight services.

A source said the airport authorities are prepared as several areas were sanitised and arrangements for designated waiting areas set up by Sunday evening.

The source said till June last week, more than 60 flights have been scheduled from and to Guwahati, but on Monday 32 flights are expected to land carrying 180 people each.

However, not all travellers will disembark at Guwahati as some will continue their journey to other parts of the Northeast, including Imphal.

Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday night that the arrival of flight passengers from Monday will be one of the “biggest challenges” in the fight against coronavirus. He requested travellers to return in phases. “We will know about the number of people landing four hours before the flights land. All will be quarantined because social distancing will be minimum inside the flight. It will be the biggest challenge,” Sarma said.

The source said all passengers have been advised to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobiles and on reaching as well as departing, they will undergo thermal screening.

However, only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the flights. All passengers will have to wear face covers or masks.

The source said apart from them, all those who get down at Guwahati will have to undergo quarantine and hotels have been arranged for the purpose.

Sarma said since there will be a massive number of arrivals, it will take at least 24 hours to screen all passengers. He said nearly 10 screening centres have been set up at the airport, which can screen at least six persons per hour.

He said the cost of quarantine in three hotels — Vivanta Guwahati, Hotel Radisson Blu and Novotel — will have to be borne by the passengers who use the facility, while charges in other hotels will be paid by the government.

Mizoram procedure: The Mizoram government has issued standard operating procedures to be followed by passengers arriving at the Lengpui airport in Aizawl on Monday.

All passengers will have to give details of their flight tickets to the resident commissioner or deputy commissioners at Mizoram Houses at cities from where they are returning. Wherever a Mizoram House does not exist, such details should be given to the nearest Mizo Welfare Association. All passengers should obtain permission from the state government.

All the returnees will undergo mandatory screening on their arrival at the airport and those who returned from red zones will have to also undergo real-time PCR test at the quarantine facilities.

Additional reporting by Henry L. Khojol in Aizawl

All the passengers will have to proceed to the quarantine facilities only by transportation arranged by the state government and they will have to undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days.