Security watchdog recommends scanners allowing gadgets inside hand baggage

Aviation security watchdog BCAS, on Wednesday, recommended the installation of scanners based on computer tomography technology at airports, whereby passengers will not be required to take out electronic devices from their hand baggage before going through the scanner.

Currently, the scanners used at airports provide a two-dimensional view of the objects inside the hand baggage.

Jaideep Prasad, Joint Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) said the regulator has proposed installing scanners based on computer tomography technology at airports that will provide a three-dimensional view of the objects in hand baggage.

"With such scanners, passengers will not be required to take out their electronic devices from hand baggage before going through the scanner," he told PTI.

Installation of such scanners is also expected to help in speeding up the security check-in process at airports.

Specific details about the recommendation could not be immediately ascertained.

In recent weeks, there have been complaints about congestion and long waiting hours at various airports, especially at the airport in the national capital. Authorities have put in place various measures and the congestion has eased.

BCAS comes under the civil aviation ministry.

Earlier this month, the ministry told the Lok Sabha that strengthening safety and security at airports is an ongoing process and reviewed from time to time by the safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and security regulator BCAS, in consultation with the other concerned agencies and stakeholders, including Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and airport 0perators, depending upon threat perceptions.

According to the civil aviation ministry, some of the technologies deployed and proposed for deployment at sensitive airports include Computer Tomography Explosive Detection Systems (CT-EDS) machines and Dual Generator X-BIS machines.

"Direction has been issued for Minimum Technical specification for Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS). It has been installed at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore airports. The full body scanner at all airports is planned in a phased manner with all hypersensitive and sensitive airports on priority basis," Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh told Lok Sabha on December 8.

Deployment of Radiological Detection Equipment (RDE) at airports is also planned in a phased manner.

India is one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets globally and the country's domestic air traffic has been more than four lakh passengers in recent days and is now above the pre-pandemic level.