Passengers will not need to stamp their hand baggage at seven major airports starting April 1, Civil Aviation Minister Gajapathi Raju tweeted on Thursday. The seven airports are Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Cochin and Ahmedabad.
The move will enhance the passenger experience and also provide a hassle-free security environment, Central Industrial Security Force Director General OP Singh said. “We have got high-definition cameras installed at Terminal 1 and 3 of Delhi Airport…Mumbai airport has got 85 cameras,” Singh told The Times of India. Acrylic barriers have been attached on X-ray machines through which hand bags will pass, so that suspicious bags can be separated, Singh added.
On February 23, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had announced that it would do away with the tagging and stamping of hand bags. The Central Industrial Security Force had done a trial run at seven airports in December 2016 before taking the decision. The trial was done for a month and deemed successful, after which the CISF said it would be tried at other airports as well.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!