Threat to foreign airlines in India

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, DEC. 26. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation has beefed up security at all functional airports in view of intelligence reports about the threat perception to international airlines operating from India.

The measure was taken after the attack by a two-member Lashkar-e- Taiba `suicide squad' at Red Fort in New Delhi on December 22. The threat perception assumed greater significance since it was one year ago, on December 24, that the New Delhi- bound Indian Airlines flight IC-814 was hijacked by militants from Kathmandu to Kandahar.

This time, however, even as attention is focussed on Indian Airlines, it is the international airlines operating from India that have been put on high alert. Immediately after the IC- 814 hijack, international airlines operating on South East Asian routes had been similarly sounded.

At such a time, the Centre has sent conflicting signals by putting on hold deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at all 66 airports that are functional. The CISF has been deployed only at 19 airports so far and they serve under the BCAS, which was made the highest authority for security at airports in the aftermath of Kathmandu hijacking.

For a while, the Civil Aviation Ministry had single- mindedly pursued the course of making security at airports foolproof. But after the recent incident involving the wife of the Assam Chief Minister who objected to being checked, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued instructions that she be exempt from security checks. Thus the Civil Aviation Ministry has allowed itself to be cowed down and VVIPs have begun to dominate the scene again.

BCAS sources said even at the risk of flights being delayed, Airport Directors have been asked to ensure that physical checks, baggage X-ray checks and ladder-point checks are thorough. The entry passes to airports have been restricted and Picture Identity Cards are being strictly monitored.

According to the Indian Airlines, sky marshals have been deployed on random flights and at Kathmandu strict security vigil is being kept.

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