The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Tardy checks hold up international flights

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Monday, Mar 31, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Tardy checks hold up international flights

P. Oppili

Shortage of CISF personnel cited as reason

Congestion occurs between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. when most foreign flights leave
Chennai airport needs 1,100 CISF personnel to attend to security work

CHENNAI: Departure of some international flights from the Anna international terminal of the Chennai airport is getting delayed by tardy security checks.

Airport sources said that at times, some international flights were held up for 40 minutes owing to the congestion at the security hold area. The sources attributed the delay to the shortage of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel charged with conducting checks.

There are a seven exit points on the ground and first floors of the international departure area, but only one gate operates for lack of adequate number of CISF personnel, according to a source. Congestion occurs between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., a period when most international flights depart.

At present, the CISF has deployed 561 personnel at the airport to conduct security checks, man the entrance of the international arrival, provide security for administrative buildings of the Airports Authority of India and perimeter wall protection, and check the movement of passengers at the Kamaraj domestic terminal.

With more and more airlines starting operations from Chennai, the number of security personnel also needs to be increased.

As per the data gathered recently by the Airports Authority of India, the Chennai airport has recorded a growth of 17.2 per cent in international aircraft movement from April last year to January this year. During the same period, the international passenger traffic has grown by 18 per cent. So the airport needs nearly 1,100 CISF personnel to attend to all security-related work, says the source.

Owing to the shortage of CISF personnel, the queue in the international departure area some times winding down to the ground floor, says a senior AAI officer. The situation is worse at weekends. The authorities have been facing this problem for the last three months.

The Airlines Operators Committee has requested the CISF to attend to the problem. Even the Civil Aviation Secretary was urged to increase the strength of CISF personnel at the airport.

The committee has been told that the issue will soon be sorted out.

The CISF was entrusted with the task of providing security at the airport in November, 2001.

A re-survey of CISF manpower conducted in August last indicated that the strength had to be increased to reduce congestion at the security hold area.

During January this year alone, 20 airlines operated 2,391 services out of Chennai to various destinations. Two more airlines will start services in the next few months, and at least half a dozen airlines have shown interest in operating flights from Chennai.

Qualified personnel

A senior CISF officer said the personnel concentrated mainly on access control and anti-hijacking in the airport. The results of the re-survey were sent to the authorities, and adequate number of personnel would be posted soon. “We require specially trained and qualified personnel to man sensitive areas such as airports,” he said.

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