Kolkata: In response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata has significantly bolstered its security measures.
According to airport authorities, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has increased its personnel strength at the airport from 1,400 to 1,600, implementing rigorous security protocols typically reserved for high-risk occasions like Republic Day.
These measures include thorough vehicle checks, deployment of plainclothes officers for passenger profiling, and intensified terminal patrols with sniffer dogs.
A second layer of baggage checks at boarding gates has also been introduced to ensure no security lapses.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) convened an emergency meeting on May 8, to review and strengthen these arrangements, recognising Kolkata airport’s strategic sensitivity due to its proximity to three international borders. Authorities conducted a comprehensive security drill simulating an air raid scenario, involving key stakeholders like CISF, Customs, and Immigration.
The airport has witnessed some flight cancellations but reported no significant chaos.
Passengers have been advised to arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international ones to accommodate enhanced checks, including Secondary Ladder Point Checks (SLPC).
Kolkata’s Air Traffic Control has also rerouted flights to avoid Pakistani airspace, managing increased traffic while suspending runway repairs. Despite its distance from the conflict zone, the airport remains on high alert, prepared for emergencies with a contingency plan in place, said airport authorities.