Monday, July 31, 2023

25,000 Prohibited Items Found In Indian Airports Daily, Says BCAS Chief

Aviation security body Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) informed on Monday that close to 25,000 prohibited items are confiscated from air passengers in India on a day-to-day basis. This arises due to a lack of awareness from passengers and results in a lot of delay during airport security checks, said Zulfiquar Hasan, the director general of BCAS. 

Within hand luggage, lighters constitute the largest share of prohibited items found among 4.8 lakh air passengers daily. While lighters make up 26 per cent of banned articles, it is followed by scissors and knives at 22 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively.  

From the bag screenings of close to 3,300 flights every day, power banks account for almost half of the prohibited items found within checked-in luggage. Lighters amount to 19 per cent in this category and loose batteries add up to 17 per cent. 

Aviation security watchdog BCAS is celebrating aviation security culture week, beginning on 31 July. 

With the rising number air passengers in the country, there is an urgent need to strengthen security measures, BCAS director general Zulfiquar Hasan said at the event. According to latest data available with Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), air traffic in India increased by 33 per cent in the January-June period of 2023.  

Without naming any specific airports, BCAS admitted that security areas have been encroached by commercial in several airports. To cater to the increasing number of passengers, “commercial area [in airports] should be reduced and security area should be increased,” said Hasan.  

31/07/2023 Abdul Haleem Sherif/Outlook

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