It is pitching to surpass the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, which is the best guarded airport in the country.
The HAL airport, which is presently being used in Bangalore, is rated as a hyper sensitive airport in India because of the perceived security risk. The tag will continue when the transition will occur, from the HAL airport to BIA in May this year. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which looks after the security aspects of the international airport is making sure that every aspect of security is taken care of and the protocol laid down by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) followed in letter.
The CISF will have three times as much manpower at the BIA. The current strength of the para military force at the HAL airport is around 330 personnel. This will be hiked to 1,000 armed and trained men for the BIA.
“We will draw the additional forces from the reserved strength of other airports and later, those vacancies will be filled up through recruitment process. We have asked for highly skilled and trained manpower, who will also be part of the quick response team (QRT). We also have a tie up with the National Security Guards (NSG),” said a senior CISF officer.
The security at the BIA is being discussed and monitored by the BCAS, the CISF and the airport operator — the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL). “The BIA will have the latest explosive detectors including liquid explosives, hi-tech CCTVs, scanning machines, hand and door metal detectors etc. We will also have the latest communication gadgets like the print monitoring and receiving system (PMRS), through which messages will be relayed from the intercom to walkie talkie and vice versa,” said the source.
Restriction
Entry of people besides passengers and airline and ground staff will be restricted. “Only a select part of the terminal will be open to visitors with tickets. We are getting the latest equipment to screen the baggage. There will be 13 baggage inspection systems; eight in the domestic and five in the international. Waiting time for the passengers will be reduced to a great extent. Presently there are six baggage screening counters at the HAL airport,” the officer added.
The apex governing body for airport security — the International Civil Aviation Organisation, to which all countries are signatories has standard and recommended practices.
While the standard practices have to be strictly followed, the ICAO leaves it to the country to pick up from the recommended practices, which may be suitable to it “For the BIA we have taken up some of the recommended practices by the ICAO,” he said.
