Delhi airport: Cops put up boards to check illegal entry into terminals
As many as 21 passengers were caught in 2015 for trying to enter the airport with a fake e-ticket. Twenty-nine such cases were reported in 2016. Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) was supposed to install PNR readers at sensitive airports across the country.
The Delhi Police have started pasting posters outside the terminal buildings of Delhi airport warning passengers who enter the airport with forged entry ticket.
As many as 21 passengers were caught in 2015 for trying to enter the airport with a fake e-ticket. Twenty-nine such cases were reported in 2016. This year, till February, seven cases have been reported, prompting authorities to install warning boards at the terminal gate.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards the airport, is also requesting the authorities to install PNR reader at the gates to prevent entries with fake tickets. Even the Intelligence Bureau has raised concern over the threat to airport security by such people.
According to the CISF, installation of PNR reader cum biometric machine at the gate can reduce the risk of unauthorized entry. “The small machine can be installed at the entry gate and instead of checking every e-ticket manually, the CISF personnel can put the ticket in front of machine and check whether the ticket is genuine or not. This will ensure that no person enters the terminal building on a forged ticket,” said CISF director general OP Singh.
Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) was supposed to install PNR readers at sensitive airports across the country.
Read: Man enters airport using forged ticket to see girlfriend off on I-Day eve, held
As per the current security structure, passengers are not checked at the entry gate and anyone can enter by showing ticket and identification card. It is when they try to exit, the security personnel ask for reason and check the authenticity of ticket. Since the person concerned had already spent considerable time inside the terminal before getting caught, use of forged ticket can be dangerous.
“In most of the cases, we have found that the passenger who had forged the ticket just wanted to see off his life partner or relatives. But they were not aware of the law. By putting warning posters, we want to make passengers aware of the fact that they can be arrested,” said Sanjay Bhatia, DCP (airport).
CISF said they conduct random security check at the entry gate and based on profiling often a passenger is caught before entering the terminal building. Currently, all the passengers are frisked at entry gate only at Srinagar airport.
Best airport
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been adjudged as the Best Airport in India and Central Asia by Skytrax at the world airport awards.
The Skytrax world airport awards are a global benchmark of airport excellence and widely known as the passengers choice awards.
Read: 4 Chinese held at IGI airport for using fake e-tickets to see off friend
The 2017 awards are based on 13.82 million airport survey questionnaires that were completed by 105 different nationalities of air travellers during the survey period. The survey was conducted from July 2016 to February 2017, covering 550 airports worldwide and evaluating traveller experiences across different airport service and product key performance indicators from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through to departure at the gate.
“It is a matter of great pride for us to receive yet another coveted award off global repute and I fully dedicate this to all our stakeholders and business associates at Delhi airport. It is indeed an exemplary accomplishment, which is the result of our customer centric approach,” said I Prabhakara Rao, CEO- DIAL.
Delhi airport has recently achieved world no. 2 position in the highest passenger category with over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) at Airport Service Quality Awards 2016.
