Airport rush to continue till January first week; CISF cancels offs to meet frenzy: Report

Airports across India will be seething with flyers till the holiday season gets over in the first week of January. In the last ten days alone, the footfall has been 4,00,000. On December 11, it hit 4,28,000. Incidentally, this happens to be not just the highest number in the post-Covid era, but the highest in India.

The massive rush at the airports has resulted in a highly difficult situation. There is an overflow of people at the gates, counters where check-ins happen leading to some even missing their flights.

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“The situation would ease with various initiatives announced after aviation minister’s Jyotiraditya Scindia visit to the Delhi airport, but it is likely to get normal once passengers going on holidays reduce, by the first week of January,” The Indian Express reported, citing a government official.

Meanwhile, in an obvious bid to handle the overflowing crowds at several airports, offs of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel working at airports have been cancelled, as per a Times of India report.

T3 terminal of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGAI) has seen the most rush in the last few days. Many airlines have asked its flyers to be present at the airports hours in advance to accommodate the frisking.

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“CISF is in no way responsible for how many people come to the airport. The number of flights has increased and infrastructure is simply not commensurate to handle that. We have already given 100 more personnel to T3. The moment this new area is ready, there will be people to man the same. CISF is committed to man as many lines as can be provided according to the travel demand,” the publication quoted an official as saying.

In the meantime, the CISF has decided to add more than 100 personnel to manage the burgeoning crowds in different airports. Many security counters will be handed over to the armed force so that it can further ease congestion.

"It has also been reiterated to all the stakeholders that there can be no compromise on security, even during the recent spate of high footfalls at big airports. The ministry (civil aviation) and other stakeholders are on the same page," PTI quoted a CISF official as saying.

(With agency inputs)