Karnataka - Bangalore

Surveillance stepped up at Bangalore airport

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

TAKING NO CHANCES: Passengers and their luggage were checked strictly at the Bangalore City Railway Station on Thursday in view of the terror attack in Mumbai.

BANGALORE: The Mumbai terror strikes had their fallout in Bangalore too. The city witnessed heightened security measures and postponement of events, including Infosys Co-Chairman Nandan Nilekani’s book launch.

Security at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) Ltd. at Devanahalli was tightened although there was no impact on its operations. Barring a Mumbai-bound Kingfisher flight, which was cancelled, all others were on schedule. The bad weather and fog too did not affect the flight operations, sources at Bengaluru International Airport Ltd., said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that provided airside security and the Bangalore city police, who looked after the peripheral security, stepped up surveillance.

An emergency meeting of the airport security committee was held.

All agencies operating from BIA were sensitised on the issue and their roles, said Digvijay Singh, CISF Commandant in-charge of the BIA.

Closed-circuit television cameras were placed at the parking area and vehicles were checked. Sabotage checks were conducted at the terminal building and the parking area.

Apart from thoroughly screening every passenger and baggage, including handbags, the security personnel frisked visitors. The police intensified patrolling on the nearly nine-km-long flyover from the trumpet junction to the terminal building.

While there were no flight cancellations, there were around 50 passenger cancellations, mainly on Jet Airways’ short hauls.

However, Jet Airways’ operations, both domestic and international, into and out of Mumbai remained largely unaffected and on schedule.

Jet Airways and Jetlite advised passengers to carry valid photo identification and report well before departure because of enhanced security.

The airlines announced a waiver of cancellation and re-issue charges on its domestic and international services into and out of Mumbai on November 27 and 28.

Passengers may contact their call centre on 39893333 or the toll free number 1800-22-55-22 for further information or visit www.jetairways.com and www.jetlite.com. Air India operated its domestic and international services as per schedule last night.

A spokesperson said that the Mumbai airport was functioning and so Air India would maintain its usual schedule.

Kingfisher Airlines combined several flights operating in and out of Mumbai. For Friday, its has combined the Bangalore-Delhi IT 202 with IT 213 departing from Bangalore at 7.50 a.m. and the Delhi-Bangalore IT 214 will be combined with IT 207 departing Bangalore at 8.45 p.m.

SpiceJet operations were not affected. Sanjay Aggarwal, Chief Executive Officer of SpiceJet, said, “We are offering all passengers who have missed their flights or chosen not to take them from Mumbai, to Mumbai or via Mumbai, a choice of either rescheduling their flights or total refund or creating a credit shell with us.”

Police Commissioner Shankar M. Bidari said the police were intensifying checking of vehicles, particularly at Kempe Gowda bus terminal, Mysore Road bus terminus, City, Yeshwantapur and Cantonment Railway station.

He said a quick response team had been formed. Mr. Bidari said steps were being taken to step up the intelligence gathering mechanism.

Even as the senior executives of the star hotels here have expressed shock over the terror attacks on The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and The Trident measures have been initiated to step up security.

A release from the Taj Group of Hotels, Bangalore, said: “We are working closely with the authorities and are taking necessary precautions across all our hotels.”

“The attacks have shaken everyone,” said Harinder Singh, general manager of The Lalit Ashok.

“The identity of people entering the hotels as well as physical checks of vehicles will be conducted in two layers from now on. While metal detectors have been in place for sometime now, we will also scan the baggage that is brought inside. CCTV cameras will also assist us,” she added.

ITC Windsor General Manager Anand Rao said: “We already had security measures in place, which will be further enhanced. Access will now be restricted to our bona fide customers and authorised persons only.”

Mr. Nilekani’s book Imagining India, which was to be launched on Thursday, was cancelled while Oriental Cuisine Pvt. Ltd’s Spanish restaurant Zara, which was to have opened on Friday, has been postponed to next week.

A press note from Prasad Bidapa said that he cancelled his Thursday’s fashion show as the client was in Mumbai.

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