New tech at IGI to reduce waiting time for security checks

In a move that is expected to reduce the waiting time for security checks at the Delhi Airport, a new technology has been deployed to ensure that trays used for baggage x-ray scan return on their own.
The Delhi airport operator tested the Automated Tray Return System (ATRS) for three months and has now introduced it at terminal 3 (T-3) for domestic flights departing from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The new system has several other features, like automated tray spacing, tracking of trays with RFID (Radio-frequency identification) and automated clear and reject lanes.
According to an airport official, the ATRS is capable of handling double the number of passengers -- up from 180 per hour to 350 per hour. This will also translate into better throughput, or passenger flow, at the airport.

The facility will be extended to departure and international transfers at T-3 and will also be provided at terminal 1.
A total of 45 ATRS lanes will be put in place to ensure complete coverage by 2021, according to an airport official.

The move is also likely to help CISF personnel, who collect these trays and stack them up besides performing other tasks such as frisking passengers, keep an eye on potential trouble-makers and scan baggage.
"This system will significantly reduce waiting times for the commuters at the point of baggage screening and also lessen chaos and confusion at the security check area," said I Prabhakara Rao, CEO-DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited).

This is a proven technology and has been adopted by several world class airports globally, he added.