Ease of flying! Soon, air passengers will not have to take out laptops and small bottles of liquid for separate security checking. In a big relief to passengers, India is all set to join the league of countries like the United States, United Kingdom and Netherlands to test new-age hand bag scanners. These are based on a new technology that does not require air passengers to take out items such as laptops and small bottles of liquid at the airport for checking. According to a TOI report, recently, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) gave its nod for a pilot project on this 3D-based computed tomography scanner at Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad airports. The scanner, based on a new technology, has already been tested at major global hubs like London, New York and Amsterdam.
BCAS Director General Kumar Rajesh Chandra was quoted in the report saying that the bureau has also granted permission to Hyderabad airport to test this new technology. He further said that they have also granted permission on the basis of the request of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The CISF had sought BCAS’ approval to do a trial of this machine at the security hold area at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Once the trials are successfully conducted and the move is approved by BACS, the machine will likely be installed by airports in India, the report said.
Earlier this year, the CISF had asked major Indian airports especially Delhi Airport to introduce “express security check facility” in an attempt to reduce congestion at check-in and frisking areas. The express security check facility was first introduced in the country at Hyderabad airport around a year ago. Another thing that all the major airports across the country are introducing in a phased manner is hi-tech automatic tray retrieval system (ATRS), hand baggage belts at security checkpoints. The system can scan the boarding cards of flyers when they put their bags in trays for scanning. After they have been frisked, passengers can pick the cleared handbags from the other side.