IGI airport to ‘retire’ first full-body scanner

NEW DELHI: A second body scanner is likely to be put to use at the Indira Gandhi International airport soon. The

full body scanner

, which is currently being used at Terminal 3 of the airport will be put away after its use on Wednesday. CISF officials said that it will be done after 10,000 passengers pass through it on Wednesday. The results will be analysed by a special committee, depending on which another similar scanner will be set up at the terminal.

Till Monday, 8,000 flyers had already passed through the scanners and the CISF, that mans the security of the airport, expects to cross 10,000 by Wednesday. “We will put the scanner away to analyse its results. A special committee comprising officials from Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), CISF, police and airport officials will closely monitor the results and if found worth, another similar scanner will put at the terminal. They will be brought in use permanently then,” said a senior CISF officer.

The force had installed the scanner at the

IGI

airport in the first week of this month as a pilot project, after CISF personnel deputed for operating it completed their training. On the first day of installation, more than 450 passengers walked through the scanner at T3. This was the first time any Indian airport got a full body scanner.

The step was taken amid controversies over the safety of the scanner and issues concerning privacy of the passengers. Officials also said that a majority of passengers were initially reluctant in passing through the newly installed machine and had to be ensured about its safety. “For now, frisking has not been completely done away with. Flyers will have to undergo frisking by CISF even after going through the machine as the security agency is still testing its reliability. Manual checking will be done away with, once all the scanners are permanently installed,” said a CISF officer.


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