The Hindu : Front Page : Curbs on purchases at airport shops relaxed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 30, 2006

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Curbs on purchases at airport shops relaxed

Special Correspondent

No racial or any other profiling of passengers being done, says Union Government

NEW DELHI: Nearly three weeks after tight security measures were enforced at airports across the country in the aftermath of the foiled terror plot in Britain prohibiting passengers from carrying liquids, gels and pastes on board, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday announced relaxation in the procedure for making purchases in duty-free shops at the airports.

Briefing reporters on the new security procedure, Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad said passengers would now be allowed to make purchases before their departure at duty-free shops located outside the security hold area but the items would not be handed over to the passenger at the shops. The items, kept in an identifiable bag, would be delivered at the aircraft boarding point.

Mr. Prasad said it would be the responsibility of the duty-free shop owner or operator to get the bag containing the sold items checked at the security points and have these delivered to the passenger. The new procedure would come into effect from midnight of September 1, he said.

Mr. Prasad said duty-free items would be sold under proper cash receipt incorporating the name of the passenger, seat number and the name of the airline. The shop owner would ensure that no prohibited or dangerous goods are kept or sold. He would also ensure that security-vetted employees are kept on the rolls for delivering the sold items to the passenger.

He said the shops could refuse to sell items about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the flight as it would need time to get the sold items checked and delivered.

The relaxation was being allowed after a detailed review carried out by security agencies such as the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The review was prompted by the huge losses the shops were making. Mr. Prasad said the public sector Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was reportedly incurring a loss of Rs. 10 lakh daily in the post-August 11 scenario banning passengers from carrying liquids, gels and pastes on board. Primarily the duty-free shops in the departure terminal were badly hit as passengers could not make purchases and carry them inside the aircraft.

However, all other security measures, including the ban on carrying liquids, pastes and gels in hand baggage would continue till another review is undertaken. Replying to a query, Mr. Prasad denied that any racial or other profiling of passengers was being done but said that a pilot project of giving Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) about incoming international passengers had been put in place from July at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

"At present only Air India has been asked to furnish advance information about incoming passengers in a given format at the IGI airport to the immigration authorities. The system is likely to speed up immigration clearance. A review will be undertaken to see if it has really enabled immigration authorities to scan the lists of passengers in a speedier way. Though it is yet another burden on airlines, many other airports in other parts of the world are also asking for it. I believe, in due course it will be made a standard procedure,'' he said.

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