The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the agency responsible for aviation security in the country, has thrown a spanner in the civil aviation ministry’s plan to implement the new ground-handling policy from January 1, 2011. Any delay in rolling out the new policy which bars private carriers such as Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and IndiGo from undertaking ground-handling would help the airlines save on cost.
The new policy allows only three agencies in one metro airport ? the national carrier Air India, the airport operator (such as Airports Authority of India, GMR and GVK), and one private firm selected through bidding to provide ground handling services. The service involves job of baggage movement, cargo scanning, taxing, refueling and cleaning of the aircraft among others.
The move would simultaneously hurt the commercial interest of private airport operators such as GMR-led Delhi International Airports Ltd (DIAL) and GVK-led Mumbai international airport Ltd (MIAL).
The proposed rules under the new policy had been cleared by the Cabinet committee on security (CCS) after being deferred thrice in the past. The BCAS now, however claims that they were not consulted before taking up the approval of the executive at the highest level.
The aviation security agency has also written to the civil aviation ministry desiring the continuance of the existing policy. It has argued that BCAS allows only the airline companies to undertake certain activities related to security.
?As per the existing aviation security programme, airlines have been undertaking some of the security related activities. In case of security lapses airlines could be held responsible. But if the ground handling activities are handed over to other agencies airlines would shrug off their responsibilities,? the BCAS is understood to have communicated to the aviation ministry.
Private air carriers have already challenged the government decision barring them from self-handling. The airlines under the banner of Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) have argued that their licences given by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requires the carriers to have ground-handling infrastructure and ability to undertake the services.
The government’s attempt to restrict private airlines from ground handling activities in the terminal side would force the carriers to pink slips to nearly 30,000 staff and render the handling equipments useless.
The aviation ministry is, however, keen to implement the new policy in the face of terror threats and has decided to keep the BCAS view in abeyance.
?The earlier order of BCAS regarding airport security may be suitably modified in line with the new policy approved by the CCS,? an aviation ministry official said.