NEW DELHI: Air travellers could possibly be spared the effort of eradicating laptops from cabin/hand baggage at pre-embarkation safety checkpoints (PESC) of busy Indian airports by this year-end. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS) has ordered operators of all airports dealing with 50 lakh and extra passengers yearly to put in 3D computed tomography X-ray (CTX) machines for cabin bag checks by December 31, 2023. These machines don’t require passengers to maintain private digital gadgets (PED), chargers and liquids in separate trays, one thing that must be performed with the present gen 2D X-ray scanners resulting in a mad scramble for trays.
Equally, BCAS has set a year-end deadline for all hyper delicate airports seeing a crore and extra passengers yearly to introduce full physique scanners (FBS). Adopting this lengthy overdue know-how, which has seen a number of deadlines lapse since March 2020 as a consequence of Covid, will permit quicker and extra stringent safety checks on flyers. Whereas it’s the primary time a due date has been set for putting in CTX, the necessity for these two superior applied sciences was badly felt final November-December when terminals in India have been chock-a-block with passengers with lengthy queues in every single place.
What’s extra the BCAS order stipulates all new non-RCS (regional connectivity scheme) airports — that features the upcoming ones at Higher Noida and Navi Mumbai airports — should set up CTX and FBS “earlier than the beginning of the operation itself.” Timelines have been given for different smaller airports too, mentioned BCAS sources.
“CTX won’t solely enhance passenger expertise at airports by rushing up PESC course of, but in addition enhance detection of prohibited gadgets and make safety extra sturdy. We’re within the means of introducing FBS at PESC. This may improve the aptitude of detecting non-metallic risk objects like liquid, gel or plastic contraband equivalent to explosives and inflammable gadgets that may be hid on the physique. Transportation of medication can be stopped with a full physique scanner. They are going to assist keep away from strip searches and invasive pat downs,” sources mentioned.
TOI sought feedback from all airport operators in India about their plans for putting in these applied sciences earlier than the 12 months finish. State-run Airports Authority of India says this “is into consideration.” A spokesperson for Bengaluru Airport mentioned the hub “is at present working very carefully with BCAS and authentic gear producers (OEMs) on this matter and additional particulars just like the variety of gear (required), implementation timelines and value can be made recognized sooner or later of time.”
The most important non-public operators — GMR Group which runs Delhi, Hyderabad, Moa (Goa) and Adani that runs seven together with Mumbai, Lucknow and Ahmedabad other than constructing Navi Mumbai Airport — didn’t touch upon this challenge.
Sources say a physique scanner roughly Rs 10-11 crore. Airports didn’t remark how they suggest to get well the price of putting in FBS and CTX.
Earlier this month because of CTX, London Metropolis Airport scrapped the 100ml liquid restrict and permits electronics to stay in hand baggage at safety verify. Travellers there can now stick with it as much as two litres of liquid, and toiletries now not need to be put in separate baggage. UK has set a June 2024 deadline for many of its airports to put in these machines.
Equally, BCAS has set a year-end deadline for all hyper delicate airports seeing a crore and extra passengers yearly to introduce full physique scanners (FBS). Adopting this lengthy overdue know-how, which has seen a number of deadlines lapse since March 2020 as a consequence of Covid, will permit quicker and extra stringent safety checks on flyers. Whereas it’s the primary time a due date has been set for putting in CTX, the necessity for these two superior applied sciences was badly felt final November-December when terminals in India have been chock-a-block with passengers with lengthy queues in every single place.
What’s extra the BCAS order stipulates all new non-RCS (regional connectivity scheme) airports — that features the upcoming ones at Higher Noida and Navi Mumbai airports — should set up CTX and FBS “earlier than the beginning of the operation itself.” Timelines have been given for different smaller airports too, mentioned BCAS sources.
“CTX won’t solely enhance passenger expertise at airports by rushing up PESC course of, but in addition enhance detection of prohibited gadgets and make safety extra sturdy. We’re within the means of introducing FBS at PESC. This may improve the aptitude of detecting non-metallic risk objects like liquid, gel or plastic contraband equivalent to explosives and inflammable gadgets that may be hid on the physique. Transportation of medication can be stopped with a full physique scanner. They are going to assist keep away from strip searches and invasive pat downs,” sources mentioned.
TOI sought feedback from all airport operators in India about their plans for putting in these applied sciences earlier than the 12 months finish. State-run Airports Authority of India says this “is into consideration.” A spokesperson for Bengaluru Airport mentioned the hub “is at present working very carefully with BCAS and authentic gear producers (OEMs) on this matter and additional particulars just like the variety of gear (required), implementation timelines and value can be made recognized sooner or later of time.”
The most important non-public operators — GMR Group which runs Delhi, Hyderabad, Moa (Goa) and Adani that runs seven together with Mumbai, Lucknow and Ahmedabad other than constructing Navi Mumbai Airport — didn’t touch upon this challenge.
Sources say a physique scanner roughly Rs 10-11 crore. Airports didn’t remark how they suggest to get well the price of putting in FBS and CTX.
Earlier this month because of CTX, London Metropolis Airport scrapped the 100ml liquid restrict and permits electronics to stay in hand baggage at safety verify. Travellers there can now stick with it as much as two litres of liquid, and toiletries now not need to be put in separate baggage. UK has set a June 2024 deadline for many of its airports to put in these machines.
