Air passengers using Chennai airport can soon breathe easy. The airport, which was earlier left out from the list of seven airports exempted from the stamping of hand baggage, will soon join five others to which the facility will be extended, officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said.
Officials of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were planning to inspect the city airport for the purpose last December but their visit was called off due to Cyclone Vardah, officials said. “Chennai airport is a priority for us and soon passengers will be exempted from this procedure,” an official said.
Security experts will be visiting the airport this month for an inspection after which a decision is likely to be taken.
“They will check if any additional cameras need to be installed and if the other security arrangements are in place before this procedure can be done away with,” an official said.
Recently, Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju tweeted: “All issues resolved; no more stamping of hand baggage at seven airports from April 1. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Cochin.”
Soon after the announcement, passengers had sought to know why Chennai airport alone was left out in this exercise.
