Airports on high alert

Mumbai’s unprecedented terror attacks have put airports across the country on a high alert.

The Mumbai airport is taking a slew of measures, including setting up an advanced perimeter intrusion detection system across an area of 16 km on the air-side. The system is equipped with radio-signalling devices, cameras and electronic sensors, which send an alarm to a control room manned by officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).

“A large part of the airport boundary is close to slum areas and the main city, and could be easily accessed by intruders. Hence we have decided to install this system there. We have already given the contract for installing the system to an international company. It will be in place in the next few months,” said a MIAL spokesperson.

MIAL had recently engaged a UK consultant to conduct a survey on the security system at the airport. The perimeter security system was part of the consultant’s recommendations.

MIAL has also recently installed an explosive detection system, an advanced detection system for explosives in handbags, which can be hand-held or attached to tabletops.

Besides, the Mumbai airport is also waiting for the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) approval for installing a biometric access control system, which identifies an individual from the fingerprints.

As an immediate security measure, the airport security is carrying on secondary ladder checks just when the passenger is about to board the plane. The airport premises are being checked every two hours by terminal managers, housekeeping staff and airline staff and reports conveyed to the CISF. The modernisation work at the airport has been temporarily stopped and labourers are not being allowed to enter the airport vicinity.

Other airports in the country are not far behind. According to CISF officials, Delhi airport is soon going to install the perimeter security system at the airport. “The system will be installed across the 25 km perimeter of the airport,” said a CISF official.

The official said setting up of an explosive detection system was also in the offing though there were no plans to set up a biometric access control system yet.

Civil aviation ministry officials said all international airports and western region airports had been put on high alert. The decision was reportedly taken in a meeting held yesterday between the civil aviation ministry and security agencies including CISF and BCAS. Thorough checking of vehicles and extra surveillance of terminals and of the airport perimeter were on, said an official statement from the ministry.

The Hyderabad airport has around 230 CISF officials constantly patrolling the airport. The airport has a total of 850 CISF officials. “The frequency of their checks has increased. If there was one patrol across the airport vicinity in an hour, now there are two or three. The approach roads to the airport are also being patrolled,” said a spokesperson of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL).