Airport director denies security risk

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 19. The director of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Mr. D.R. Vermani, has denied that structural innovations at the airport had spurred fears about increased security compromises and their potential for facilitating a broad range of economic crimes.

In a statement here today, the director said that frequent inspections were being carried out by senior officials of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and other high-level teams at the airport for reviewing security arrangements. None of the security inspections had in any way commented on the modifications, he said.

The director defended the modification in the domestic terminal pointing out that the change had been made after visitors' entry was permitted in the building at all the airports. This modification, after due deliberations were carried out more than a year ago and no report of any such security apprehensions had been received or voiced in any of the security meetings, he said.

Hitherto, the entry points to the visitors' gallery and building were separate. In case, this modification had not been effected, visitors would have had to come out and again reenter the building, thereby exposing themselves to security risks, Mr. Vermani said.

The single entry, according to the director, has helped to provide convenience to the visitors and to facilitate effective security control over the movement of visitors in the building and visitors' gallery.

As regards the VIP lounge, it was always protected and guarded by the police and other agencies, and as such, any apprehensions in this regard were totally unfounded and ill-conceived, he said.

Regarding the lay-out changes in the international terminal, the director said that x-raying was done in the sterile security hold area from where the passengers leave the premises to be transported to their respective aircraft and not from the pre- security hold area. Moreover, there was no passage area linkage in the security hold area for the use of restaurant as alleged.

According to the director, the passage (which is yet to be put to use) has been made for passengers waiting in the transit and pre-security hold area to use the restaurant facility. This was required, Mr. Vermani contended, as, at present, there was no way for the passengers to go to a restaurant.

``The availability of restaurant facility in the transit and pre-security hold area is a common feature at all international airports. This passage was created after due deliberations among all the agencies in the airport committees and it would be commissioned after due notice and deliberations,'' he said. The director reiterated that no passenger could enter the security hold area for the purpose of transporting and boarding the aircraft without passing through the various security checks.

On the circular sounding alert on rampant smuggling of fake Indian currency notes, the director said that the content of the circular related to all airports in the country and confining it to Thiruvananthapuram alone was ``incorrect and illogical.''

On the issue of granting licences for ground handling services, the director said that the subject was being handled at the corporate level and there was a proper Government Gazette notification laying down the rules and regulations. As regards ground handling agencies identified for the Thiruvananthapuram International airport, the director's office had not received any adverse security information, he said.

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