Date:27/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/27/stories/2008122760901000.htm

Front Page

States asked to ensure security at airports

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Civil Aviation Ministry has asked all State governments, airports and agencies concerned to tighten security in view of heightened threat perception that follows last month’s Mumbai terror attacks.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters on Friday that the Civil Aviation Ministry had circulated some instructions to all airports.

Civil Aviation Secretary M. Madhavan Nambiar had written to the States and Union Territories to secure all airports and airstrips under their jurisdiction.

There are about 340 airports and airstrips in the country, many of them non-functional. A large number of the airstrips are of the Second World War period.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security have issued instructions to form additional layers of personal and hand-baggage checking before passengers board aircraft. They have also directed that the strength of sky marshals be increased and that they be put on more flights.

The DGCA will soon issue security guidelines for helicopter operators to report to the local police before landing at unscheduled places.