Government, airports gear to avoid choked airport during festive rush

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

private airport operators are gearing up for a rush at airports this festive season. While BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) has asked airports to increase security check in areas and to increase number of xray machines, CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) has committed additional manpower. Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met to review airport preparedness to avoid a situation of last year where many passengers missed their flights due to long check in queues.Zulfiquar Hasan, director general at BCAS said that he does not foresee a return of the massive congestion seen last year.

“The congestion seen last year was due to security check-in area handling more people than capacity. This worsened as it was winter and people had jackets increasing the requirement of trays,” Hasan said, adding that airports are increasing security check in area even by reducing commercial spaces. “Last year, Delhi airport had 13 security lines.

There are 25 lines now,” he said.BCAS has also asked airport operators to upgrade baggage X-ray machines and install CT-X machines by December where passengers will not have to remove electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones, and chargers during screening of handbags. CISF has projected manpower required and will be ready for 15% more passengers than the projection. “There is no shortage of CISF.