Air travellers may soon not be required to take out electronic devices from hand baggage at airports for scanning

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has proposed to install new scanners at airport to reduce congestion. The aviation security watchdog has recommended installation of scanners based on computer tomography technology at airports. With these scanners passengers will not be required to take out electronic devices from their hand baggage before going through the scanner.

Currently, the scanners used at airports provide a two-dimensional view of the objects inside a hand baggage but the scanners based on computer tomography technology at airports will provide a three-dimensional view of the objects in hand baggage.

"With such scanners, passengers will not be required to take out their electronic devices from hand baggage before going through the scanner," Jaideep Prasad, Joint Director General of the BCAS told PTI.


In recent weeks, there have been complaints about congestion and long waiting hours at various airports, especially at the airport in the national capital. Authorities have put in place various measures and the congestion has eased. Installation of such scanners is also expected to help in speeding up the security check in process at airports.


BCAS comes under the civil aviation ministry.

Earlier this month, the ministry told the Lok Sabha that strengthening of safety and security at airports is an ongoing process and reviewed from time to time by the safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and security regulator BCAS, in consultation with the other concerned agencies and stakeholders, including Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and airport 0perators, depending upon threat perceptions.

According to the civil aviation ministry, some of the technologies deployed and proposed for deployment at sensitive airports include Computer Tomography Explosive Detection Systems (CT-EDS) machines and Dual Generator X-BIS machines.

"Direction has been issued for Minimum Technical specification for Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS). It has been installed at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore airports... The Full Body Scanner at all airports is planned in a phased manner with all hypersensitive and sensitive airports on priority basis," Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh told Lok Sabha on December 8.

Deployment of Radiological Detection Equipment (RDE) at airports is also planned in a phased manner.

India is one of the fastest growing civil aviation markets globally and the country's domestic air traffic has been more than 4 lakh passengers in recent days, and is now above the pre-pandemic level.

With PTI Inputs