New set of rules to enhance aviation security likely soon

NEW DELHI: A new set of rules to enhance aviation security would be notified soon as the government planned to make the existing anti-hijack law tougher by introducing death penalty, a top official said today.

The Civil Aviation Ministry was in the process of framing a new law, called Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2011, to provide more teeth to the security agencies to carry out their activities, Ministry Secretary Nasim Zaidi said.

Addressing a meeting of the Security Advisory Council to Civil Aviation Ministry, he said amendments to the Anti-Hijack Act 1982 to provide for severe punishment like death penalty and other tough measures were in the process of being carried out.

Suggesting that passengers' convenience should be part of the security mechanism, Zaidi said 16,000 people were trained in aviation security this year compared to 9,000 last year. Sixty-one mock exercises have been conducted so far this year.

Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said the security apparatus needed constant upgrading with new technologies and modalities for safe clearance of passengers and their carry-on items.

"This meeting is significant as the inputs and interaction of stakeholders, users regulatory authority and government bodies create an environment of aviation security, while ensuring the passenger facilitation," Ravi said.

Issues like the use of X-ray machines, screening check points by CISF to clear passengers during peak hours and theft of passengers' belongings at airports also came up for discussion at the meeting.

Senior officials of the ministry, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Air India, CISF, Delhi Police and DIAL attended the meeting.