Soon, you may not have to take laptops out of hand bags for screening at airports

NEW DELHI: The hassle of removing laptops, tablets and liquids from hand bags for screening at airports may soon be a thing of the past. Some of the world’s busiest hubs are doing trial runs for screening machines that give a 3D view of what’s inside the bag, and not requiring items in them to be removed.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), agency in charge of security at Indian airports, is watching these trials closely and plans to test the technology here too and then hopefully use it at the busiest airports here.

The technology has so far been tested at airports like New York’s JFK hub and Amsterdam’s Schiphol. London Heathrow is currently conducting trials. UK’s department for transport says if “successful, this could lead in future to passengers no longer needing to remove items from hand luggage for screening." “We are studying this technology and the results of (trial runs) at those airports,” a senior CISF official said. Asked if CISF plans to test this technology at Indian airports, he added, “Yes… (we) will also need some changes in rules for physical checking of suspect hand bags. Being a potentially passenger-friendly move, a senior aviation ministry official termed the new technology being tested a “very good development”.

Since most Indian airports, both PPP metro and those run by Airports Authority of India, have failed to augment capacity in last few years that have seen number of air travellers grow manifold, serpentine queues at pre-embarkation security checks (PESC) have become a routine sight in peak travel hours.

“At several relatively small airports like Guwahati, we take out our laptop and tablet out of the hand bag and line them up separately for going through the hand bag scanner. It takes some time before we reach the other side of the scanner after being frisked and during this time my only thought is about getting my stuff and the same not being picked by someone else,” said Delhi-based businessman Aman Varma who travels extensively for work.

Last year, CISF had raised a red flag over increasing rush at choked airports. “Total passenger traffic at all airports has increased by (over) 65% in last 5 years. However, this increase is skewed and is abnormally high during peak hours at certain airports… Despite this huge increase in (peak hour rush), the security infrastructure and manpower have remained the same, resulting in congestion at security check points and undue pressure on security personnel for speedy clearance,” CISF had said in a report titled “Future Projection September 2017”.

Since expanding existing terminals and building new airports takes years, only use of technology can help manage growing air traffic at our infra-starved airports.