Flyers in India may soon be required to take off their shoes and belts to clear pre-boarding security checks just like in all US and some European airports.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has conducted a pilot project for this at Delhi's terminal 1D and is now examining the possibility of implementing the procedure that involves asking passengers to put away all metallic objects before they pass through detectors and then get frisked.
"We have got data from the pilot project at Delhi and are examining the modifications that need to be made to existing x-ray machines at security counters. The conveyor belt will need to be longer to accommodate more items going though the scanner and the output conveyor belt (from where baggage is picked up after screening) will also need to be modified," said a senior official.
In western airports where passengers are required to take off their shoes and belts, flyers put the footwear along with cabin baggage in the same try with the laptops kept separately.
15/03/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
