20 out of 38 security persons fail in BCAS test

At a time when the country is facing serious threats of possible plane hijacks in the light of the several hoax calls about bomb scare, around 53 per cent candidates of a batch who participated in X-ray screener certification test failed. 

The test was held at the office of the Regional Dy Commissioner of Security (CA), Delhi, for airlines’ and cargo personnel on July 7-8 January (2016) by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). 

The designation of three of the failed personnel is ‘Officer Security’ of Indigo airlines. While among the other failed candidates three were from Spice Jet, three from Blue Dart,  two from Indigo, three from Cargo Service Centre (CSC), two from Jet Airways, three from Go Air and one from Vistara airlines.

The test results revealed that 20 out of 38 candidates failed. All personnel involved with airport security, including private airline employees and cargo personnel have to participate in this test.

This test, conducted by the agency in phases at regular intervals, was meant to check the preparedness of the X-ray screeners to make them aware how to conduct security, inspections, and monitoring of security arrangements at various airports and airlines in India spread across all the country.

As per the Standard of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), it is mandatory that persons implementing security control are properly trained and also that the persons carrying out screening operations are certified according to requirement of National Civil Aviation Security Programme.

It is essential to mention that the security personnel have to check equipment, baggage etc and have knowledge about operational security equipment. 

“In this test the individual is tested in stand alone X-ray image interpretation and response etc. The candidates are being trained to identify explosives, assorted batteries, bomb initiating mechanism, dangerous goods such as replica of weapons, toy pistols, grenades, mines, IEDs, water, alcohol and articles that are generally cause threat to the aircraft,” said a senior airport official.