Entry to T3 gets more stringent

In another 10 days, suspicious looking passengers will have to get there baggage screened at the entry gate itself as the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has finally installed two X-ray screeners.

Get ready for tighter security check at the entry gate of Terminal 3 (T3) of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). In another 10 days, suspicious looking passengers will have to get there baggage screened at the entry gate itself as the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has finally installed two X-ray screeners.

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Normally, passengers spend at least an hour inside the terminal before they are subjected to hand baggage checking or frisking. The decision was taken following a blast at Moscow airport where a person entered with explosives after showing his e-ticket at the entry gate. Earlier this year, after receiving directions from ministry of home affairs, the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had asked DIAL to install baggage screeners.

“In view of the recommendations made by BCAS, we have installed two X-ray machines at gate number 3 and 5 of T3,” said I Prabhakara Rao, CEO, DIAL.

BCAS had asked DIAL to provide screeners before December 31. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for the security of the airport, however, said it will take another 10 days to start concourse checking as they need to train their men.

“The machines are there but partitions are yet to be done. We have to decide where the machines need to be placed after which we will train our men,” a CISF officer said. CISF had already started concourse checking at three airports — Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

The behaviour of passengers entering airport will decide whether his/her frisking is required or not. “We are not going to frisk each and every person entering the airport,” he added.

Currently, anyone can enter the terminal building by just showing the ticket as no checking is being done at the entry gate. Under the concourse plan, passengers have to go through checking of all baggage, hand baggage and frisking at the first point of entry at the airport.