Even as the terror attack at the check-in area of Brussels airport triggered a debate over the security drill followed at airports in general, CISF director general Surender Singh on Tuesday ruled out a review of security checks currently in place at airports in India.
The attack at Brussels airport has exposed a major chink in the security at Indian airports. Passenger bags are checked only after they are checked in and handbags are checked much later at the security-frisking area. This means a passenger can take anything inside a terminal right up to the check-in and security check area.
The only difference between Indian and most western airports is that here only a passenger is allowed into terminals. In Europe and America, on the other hand, anyone can go up to the checkin area.
When asked whether checking of luggage prior to entry into the airport building, a procedure currently followed at Srinagar airport in view of heightened threat, would be considered to further secure Indian airports, Singh replied in the negative, saying that the additional measures/checks triggered during special alerts would suffice. He said a rewriting of the security drill at Indian airports was not warranted as this could lead to long queues and avoidable rush, besides affecting flight schedules.
“One needs to balance the safety requirements with smooth movement of passenger traffic through airports,” Singh said, adding that long queues on account of any “unreasonable” security checks would only end up inconveniencing the passengers. There are three types of security systems at airports globally. The most stringent is “concourse plan” under which passenger and baggage screening happens before entering terminals. This is followed in places like Israel, Srinagar and Jammu.
The second is “security hold area” plan under which passengers are screened after check-in and before being allowed to go to the boarding gate area. This is the most commonly used system both globally and in India.
The third is “boarding gate” plan where passengers are screened just before boarding plane. “A security system is chosen depending on the threat perception of a place. India has a very high threat perception yet why we allow anyone to take anything inside terminal buildings without screening beats me,” said a security establishment insider.
The response to a terror attack anywhere in the world has to be reasonable, said the CISF chief. “In this case, a special alert and standard operating norms associated with it are considered as the right response…a review of the security drill everytime an airport is attacked in any part of the world, would be ridiculous,” he stated. While confirming that a special alert had been sounded at airports across the country in the wake of Brussels terror attacks, Singh said that all standard operating procedures associated with such alerts had been put in place.
“Every time a special alert is issued, rigorous checking and additional security measures are automatically initiated,” he told TOI. Though he did not elaborate, the heightened security drill at airports covers measures such as random checking of luggage at entrance to airports, deployment of more quick reaction teams, stricter frisking and a second round of checking of hand baggage at boarding gates. Singh said that besides the country’s airports, CISF has also intensified the security checks at Delhi Metro stations guarded by it. “This is important as the passenger traffic at metro stations is much higher than at airports,” he said.
