Security at the airports

WITH INDIAN AIRLINES earning the dubious distinction of being the `most hijacked airline', it is time for the Civil Aviation authorities to take a closer look at security both at the airports and in the aircraft. There is bound to be some inconvenience for passengers if the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security or the Airport Security police implement tougher measures. But given the choice between a security threat or minor inconveniences, the passengers cannot object to extra precautions in the wake of the recent hijacking of Indian Airlines IC 814. The question is where to begin and how to make it fool-proof. Apparently, there is nothing wrong with the systems or machines, only the management and implementation of the security measures. Off and on, the authorities seem to be slackening in their vigil and taking a flexible approach, depending on the season and the individuals. It is time to draw a blueprint for airport security in the new millennium. Nobody wants another hijacking on Indian soil or airspace, but then steps must be taken to prevent them. There cannot be a better opportunity to review the security scenario at Indian airports and come up with an effective system. The authorities will have to look at international and national airports in the country, as well as measures to be taken at foreign airports, when the national carriers have no say in the systems.

It may be easy for the authorities to prohibit entry for all outsiders and allow only the passengers to enter the terminal buildings of the airports. That does not solve the problem on hand. There must be enough security and screening of passengers, because they alone can hijack the aircraft after it takes off. There are screening machines for booked baggage and for hand baggage at the time of the final security check. Despite this, if a passenger has managed to smuggle in a pistol or a knife, or much worse a grenade, something is basically wrong. The onus then shifts to the security personnel in charge of the screening. Are they serious? Do they fall to the bribe? These are issues that need to be addressed. Video cameras have to be installed at the security check-points, escalators, entries to the toilets and all entry and exit points of the terminal building, so that a central control room can constantly monitor the entire area and maintain a vigil. Any suspicious movement can then be detected.

Equally disconcerting is the reported transcript of the conversation between the pilot of the hijacked aircraft and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower at the Amritsar airport. At 6-45 p.m., that ill-fated Friday, the pilot told the ATC ``They want fuel tanker... They have revolvers, AK-47s, grenades, everything... They want refuelling immediately done''. But till 7-49 p.m., when IC 814 took off in a hurry, there was no bowser to refuel the aircraft, nor any plan of action in place to deal with the crisis. Even if the Raja Sansi airport was not expecting any flight at that time, one hour was sufficient to have an emergency team in place. This is another aspect of security that needs to be addressed when the Government conducts its post- mortem once this hijack drama comes to an end. There is a cost for security, but considering the implications and the fallout of either a hijack or an explosion at the airport, this is a kind of insurance. In an era of global terrorism, modern airports have to be equipped to deal with all exigencies. The presence of sniffer dogs can also be considered under an overall security plan which must also look at drug trafficking and VIP security. Another problem the authorities must deal with is the unwanted presence of political activists and party workers to receive or see off their leaders. This must be banned. At least in the next millennium, this political culture must change.

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