Passengers traveling on Air India flights departing from airports in the national capital and Punjab will undergo heightened security measures due to an increased threat perception. Additionally, the issuance of visitor entry tickets at Delhi’s airport has been suspended until November 30, according to a PTI report.
In addition to temporarily halting the issuance of airport entry passes, access to the terminal building at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been prohibited until November 30. This directive was conveyed through a circular issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Monday.
“A 100 per cent SLPC (Secondary Ladder Point Check) for all Air India flights at IGI Airport and airports in Punjab, issue of Temporary Airport Entry Pass (TAEP), entry of visitors to the terminal building of the IGI (Indira Gandhi International) airport (in Delhi) and sale of visitors’ entry tickets will be banned,” the circular read.
Enhanced security protocols
A senior officer informed that a high level of alert has been sounded in view of inputs received from intelligence agencies to step up security at airports.
The enhanced security protocols include a Secondary Ladder Point Check for Air India flights at both IGIA and Punjab airports. This entails screening passengers and their carry-on items just before they board their flights, supplementing the standard primary security checks.
Meanwhile, Air India has not provided any official comments on the matter at this time.
It is worth noting that, while the issuance of temporary airport entry passes at the Delhi airport has been curtailed, there will be exceptions made for government officials with operational requirements, as indicated by the sources. These security measures are anticipated to remain in effect until November 30.
Separatist group threatens to blow up flight
Reports suggest that a separatist group has called for people to refrain from traveling on Air India flights on November 19, contributing to the heightened security measures and vigilance during this period.
In response to inquiries about specific security measures taken in light of the threat from a separatist group member, the official stated that airport security follows a consistent protocol when addressing various types of threat notifications.
“Irrespective of the profile of the caller, we react to all threat calls related to airport security as per standard operating procedure. Although most of such calls are hoaxes, but we respond,” the officer told news agency ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)