The Hindu : New norms for baggage X-ray at airports

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2003

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National

New norms for baggage X-ray at airports

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI SEPT. 30. Though the Cabinet recently cleared the proposal for privatisation of two metro airports at Delhi and Mumbai, winds of change have already started blowing across the terminal at the Indira Gandhi International airport, aimed at providing better passenger services. Curiously, the Government move appears set to rob its own loss-making public sector undertakings — Indian Airlines and Air India — of revenue.

In a bid to streamline the X-ray of baggage and decongest Terminal II of IGI airport here, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued a three-point directive. It has introduced a single agency concept in X-raying the registered baggage and done away with the handling being done at present by Indian Airlines and Air India. In the new scheme of things being worked out by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, where the passenger should come first, it may reduce the wait for the passengers who have to queue up to get their baggage X-rayed.

Well placed sources in the aviation sector said that according to the guidelines of the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organisation, baggage screening and ground handling of passengers is the carrier's responsibility. In keeping with it, IA and AI had been authorised for baggage X-ray by their trained personnel. Both the airlines had arrangements with other carriers to handle passengers on their behalf and charge for their services.

If the new arrangement was put in place, it would make IA poorer by Rs. 11 crores every year in foreign exchange. IA had three X-ray machines at the IGI airport and trained personnel who would need to be placed suitably, airport sources said.

Similarly, AI would stand to incur a greater loss as it handles a bigger chunk of passengers at the Mumbai airport. Both IA and AI have arrangements with other international airlines for handling their passengers at airports. The British Airways had installed its own X-ray machines at the IGI airport to handle the baggage of its own passengers. Ground handling at international airports in the country was a big business of about Rs. 1,000 crores annually and no agency or carrier would like to let go of its share.

According to the September 25 order of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, accessed by The Hindu, X-raying of passenger baggage at Terminal II of the IGI Airport will be carried out by the Airports Authority of India as a single agency in place of AI, IA and other airlines. Passengers entering from any of the four gates can go to any of X-ray machines and thereafter go to check-in counters. AAI will employ trained staff of the Central Industrial Security Force for X-ray purpose.

The order said that all four gates should be opened at the departure terminal of the IGI Airport along with one additional gate exclusively for Executive Class passengers. Passengers could enter check-in area from any of these gates. A minimum of eight X-ray machines would be installed by AAI with a proper orientation in check-in area so that passengers, after getting their baggage X-rayed, straightaway go to the check-in counters through tubular passages.

It instructed the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to take necessary action to entrust the responsibility of X-raying registered baggage to AAI under the Civil Aviation Security Programme.

The Airport Director, IGI Airport, Delhi, has been asked to coordinate with BCAS, IA and AI to ensure that the single agency concept is implemented within 10 days.

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