Lucknow airport installs virtual room to remove prohibited item from baggage before boarding

LUCKNOW: Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA) has installed a "virtual reunion room" (VRR) for convenience of passengers, whose baggage are withheld with airport security in In-Line Baggage Screening (ILBS) area due to suspicious prohibited items.


The VRR with audio-video communication has been set up near gate number one in the security hold area of the domestic Terminal-2.

CCSIA spokesperson said: "Earlier, a passenger had to visit the Level-4 area for verifying their check-in luggage and get the suspicious prohibited item removed. But now with VRR, the airport will be able to fast track the Level-4 clearance of the baggage from ILBS."

"The audio-video process will be undertaken after the consent of the passenger where his/her luggage will be opened in a secure manner and the prohibited item will be removed. In case, the baggage is locked, the airline official will collect the keys from the passenger, go to ILBS to execute the process, and later return the keys to the passenger. The audio and video of this process will be recorded," he added.

"At present, CCSIA’s ILBS team is training the airlines staff on how to use the virtual physical check process and later train their team members," the spokesperson said.

According to a recent survey by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, it was found that a considerable number of prohibited items are detected in cabin as well as check-in baggage of passengers while travelling through airports in the country. The commonly items recovered in the checked-in ILBS system are power bank, lighter, loose battery, e-cigarettes, dry coconut (Copra), etc.

The Spokesperson further said that the introduction of the virtual physical check room would benefit all the passengers including Senior Citizens, ladies travelling with infant, passengers with restricted mobility as well as wheelchair bound to continue their journey peacefully through Lucknow Airport.

VVR was inaugurated by Arun Bansal, CEO, AAHL, Rahul Bhatkoti, Chief Airport Officer of CCSIA and Ajay Singh, Chief Airport Security Officer, CISF.

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