India's AAI Approves Advanced Scanners at High-Security Airports

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has received approval from the Public Investment Board (PIB) to implement full-body scanners at four of India's highly sensitive airports. This move aims to enhance security checks, making them faster and more accurate. These advanced full-body scanners will significantly reduce passenger frisking time by half. The selected airports for the installation of these full-body scanners are Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, and Goa. In July, the government had initiated a tender process to procure 131 full-body scanners and 600 new hand baggage scanners, amounting to over Rs 10 billion, for airports managed by AAI. However, this tender was later withdrawn due to the need for PIB clearance. Given that all investments exceeding Rs 5 billion require PIB approval, the initial plan was to deploy full-body scanners and hand-baggage scanners at 43 airports, including Amritsar, Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Varanasi, Raipur, Tirupati, Bhopal, and others. However, following a recent meeting involving stakeholders responsible for airport safety and security, it was decided to prioritize the installation of full-body scanners at the four busiest AAI-managed airports. This meeting involved senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Home Affairs, and others. A senior official stated, After evaluating the success of full-body scanners at these four airports, the facility will be extended to other airports in the queue. During the meeting, various aspects such as procurement, installation, training of security personnel, and operational considerations were discussed. These full-body scanners utilize millimeter-wave technology to detect concealed objects based on body contours. The official added, As the proposal required PIB approval, it has now been reviewed, and full-body scanners will be installed at four airports, including thirteen at Kolkata, twelve at Chennai, eight at Goa, and five at Pune airport. These airports are categorized as hypersensitive by BCAS. AAI manages a total of 137 airports in India, comprising 24 international airports, 10 customs airports, and 103 domestic airports. See also: Operators target Rs 980 bn capital outlay to meet air traffic demandsCentral government approves 21 new Greenfield airports