The Hindu : Front Page : Airport gets four more X-ray machines

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Saturday, Jul 12, 2008
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Airport gets four more X-ray machines

V.S. Palaniappan

Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

Secured: A view of the passenger lounge at the Coimbatore airport. –

Coimbatore: The Airport Authority of India has installed four more X-ray machines for enhancing security measures at Coimbatore Airport.

This is expected to improve the pace at which passengers could get through the security check and luggage check procedures.

According Airport Director, K. Hemalatha, the Airport already has an X-ray machine for scanning of registered i.e., checked-in luggage and another for the passenger’s hand luggage.

Yet another X-ray machine had been installed at the cargo complex. This was proving to be inadequate during the peak traffic hours when there is a departure of more than one flight.

Coimbatore Airport had witnessed a phenomenal increase in the number of passenger movements and aircraft movements and it as on date has 22 to 24 aircraft movements.

This led passengers waiting for security clearance of their luggage.

Hence, the AAI planned for procuring more X-ray machines for easier and faster security clearance for passengers especially during the peak departure hours.

Accordingly, a proposal was mooted for purchasing four more machines i.e., two for checked-in luggage and two for hand luggage. Deployment of additional machines would avoid the risk of luggage being scanned at a faster pace. One checked-in luggage X-ray machine had been installed at the departure hall while the second machine had been installed at the cargo complex and two hand luggage machines had been deployed at the departure hall.

The two hand luggage X-ray machines had been purchased at a cost of Rs. 39.36 lakh while the two checked-in i.e., registered luggage X-ray machines had been procured at a cost of Rs. 71.55 lakh.

Installation of additional machines and speeding up of the departure procedures are expected to improve the operational efficiency and punctuality in operation of flights.

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