Closure of 24 airports extended till May 15 amid rising India-Pak tensions

BCAS initiates "stringent" protocols to ensure security for air cargo

In the wake of rising India-Pakistan tensions, the government on Friday extended the closure of 24 airports across northern and western India from May 10 to May 15. These airports are in cities that include Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Jodhpur, Ludhiana, and Shimla. The airports have been shut since India conducted Operation Sindoor, which targeted multiple terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir on May 7.

  According to the sources in the aviation industry, the extension will require airlines to cancel nearly 1,200 additional flights scheduled to and from these 24 airports. On May 7, 850 services were cancelled.

  Meanwhile, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has ordered airlines, airports, and air cargo handlers to enforce “stringent” protocols. This includes physical screening of consignments, deploying cargo escorts, ensuring strict access control, and maintaining heightened vigilance for shipments from “high-risk” areas.

  “These measures have been implemented by the BCAS to ensure safety and security in the country. While they will be time-consuming, we will physically check each and every package to ensure there is nothing illegal or dangerous,” CK Govil, president, Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI), told Business Standard.

  “We will make sure there is no pilferage during this process, as both the sender and receiver should not be inconvenienced in any way,” added Govil, who is also the chief managing director of Activair Airfreight India.

  In a directive to aviation stakeholders on Thursday, the BCAS had stated that a "physical search" of cargo consignments must be conducted to detect the possible presence of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), incendiary devices (IIDs), and prohibited items.

All regulated agents and aircraft operators — domestic or foreign—must ensure that there are “appropriate security controls” in place before any cargo or mail is loaded onto a commercial plane, the aviation security regulator had mentioned.

  Operators are required to verify the contents of each consignment against shipping documents and conduct a thorough visual inspection to detect signs of tampering, it added.

  Cargo from “high-risk” areas must undergo multiple layers of screening, including x-ray with multi-view capabilities, physical searches, explosive trace detection (ETD), and explosive detection dogs (EDD). “Enhanced percentage of ETD checks for cargo consignments” has specifically been mandated.

  The BCAS emphasised stricter “access control” to cargo premises and continuous surveillance at both cargo and General Aviation (GA) terminals. “Sterility of the cargo security hold areas shall be maintained at all times to prevent any unauthorised interference,” the regulator mentioned. Additionally, security personnel must escort cargo and mail until loading, and staff involved in cargo handling are to receive “on the job awareness training”. In light of persistent risks, supervisors and security coordinators have been told to “exercise ample vigilance and supervision”, according to the BCAS. 

These measures will remain in force till May 18.