‘Security screening gap will be bridged’

Mumbai: A complicated procedure of relocating the security screening area of terminal 2-C from the mezzanine to the departure level on the first floor, which has nearly trebled the passenger hold area from 2,800 mts to 10,000 mts, shifting four X-ray machines, baggage scanners and security personnel, plus coordinating with various airport stakeholders — including airlines, immigration, and CISF — was concluded at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Saturday.
All of this, without disrupting flight movements — nearly 400-500 passengers use terminal 2-C every hour during peak hours.
Confirming the move, a spokesperson for the Mumbai International Airport Private Limited (MIAL) said that the “idea was to create a sterile area by consolidating all the checks at one level.”
In effect, this means that after check-in, passengers can complete immigration and proceed for handbag screening at the departure level itself. Then on, they can head to the mezzanine level, which will be a passenger waiting area, prior to boarding their flights.
From a security perspective, things will be more streamlined since there will be a more even spread of passenger flow — “there were times when we would have too many passengers at once, and times when there would be trickle in. This gap in security screening will now be bridged,” said Sanjay Prakash, Senior Commandant, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
28/05/07 Mumbai Newsline

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Categories: Airports May 2007, Safety May 2007