After Overflow Of Complaints From Passengers, Union Home Secretary Set To review Issue Of Overcrowding At Delhi, Mumbai Airports
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla is all set to review the matter of over-crowding at airports, particularly in Delhi and Mumbai, on Thursday with key stakeholders.
Reportedly, Bhalla has called for a meeting in order to combat the continuous inflow of complaints from passengers about the rush at the entry gates, luggage dropping, and security check areas.
Representatives of key stakeholders such as the Civil Aviation Ministry, airport operators, CISF, and Bureau of Immigration are expected to be present at the meeting
In the last two weeks, passengers have shared pictures and videos of long queues and chaos at the Delhi Airport and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai leading authorities to take note and asking airlines and airport operators to ease the traffic.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has formed a group of more than 100 personnel to be present at the additional security counters expected to be handed over to it in order to ease the congestion at the airports of Delhi and Mumbai, sources confirmed
However, the central paramilitary, designated as the national aviation security force, have clearly stated that airport operators, airlines, and the Union civil aviation ministry that while it can bring on board some more security personnel, there can be "no compromise on security protocols and standard operating procedures followed by it for regular frisking of passengers and scanning of cabin baggage apart from fliers required to undergo extensive search due to specific profiling."
The civil aviation ministry had on Tuesday asked airlines to have enough manpower at all check-in and baggage drop counters, and had also requested the scheduled airlines to update their social media feed with real-time numbers on the waiting time at the entry gates of the airports
As per reports, the continued chaos at the airports has forced airlines to ask passengers to reach airports early, do a web check-in, and carry only one piece of hand baggage for faster movement.
Earlier, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia had also made a surprise visit to the Terminal 3 of Delhi International Airport on Monday morning amid complaints of rush by passengers at the airport.
There has been an increase in the complaints of passengers visiting the Delhi International Airport in past few weeks regarding the congestion and delays due to long waits in the security checks.
After the surprise visit, Scindia told the media, "Last week, I conducted a meeting where all the stakeholders were present. The aviation industry was suffering massively due to COVID restrictions. Because of the recovery from this period, there is a lot of congestion at the airports, another important decision taken today was regarding the security process. A total of 13 lines are in use presently at Delhi airport which we have increased to 16. We are also trying to add a few more lines taking it close to 20 lines."
