Loopholes in cargo-handling at airport

Kochi: The chemical mishap in a cargo baggage, which was being loaded into a Kingfisher aircraft at the international airport here on Sunday, has raised a major security concern in the handling of domestic and international cargo at the airport.
Senior officials in the Customs and Police departments had demanded that it was high time the Central Government took over the responsibility of cargo-handling from the CIAL authorities. At present, the cargo movement is exclusively handled by the security staff of the CIAL.
Government agencies like the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) come into scene only when the CIAL security staff raise suspicion about the content of the cargo.
Unlike other airports in the state, the cargo-handling at the CIAL is being done by a private agency.
A senior Customs official said that considering the changing security scenario in the state, cargo-handling at CIAL should be immediately handed over to the government agencies.
26/07/10 ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Airports Jul 2010, Cargo Jul 2010, Safety Jul 2010