Strengthen security on airport approach roads: Centre to states

NEW DELHI: The Centre has asked states to strengthen airport security -- especially in terms of checking airport bound vehicles and on approach roads -- to prevent attacks of the kind witnessed in Istanbul and Brussels airports recently.

Aviation minister AG Raju wrote to states on August 16, saying "Airports have become a valued target for the terror groups as it gathers attention all over and creates adverse psychological impact in the minds of our citizenry."

"Security agencies have to gear up to the changing patterns of the method of attack" referring to the attacks at European airports where passenger terminals were targeted. " (the) city side of the airports emerging as the most vulnerable," Raju's letter says. Clearly, attacks at airports are now the new worry even as security agencies have to constantly take steps to prevent hijackings.

The minister has asked states to take warnings from Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) seriously and implement the steps suggested. BCAS had issued an advisory to states on June 29 and Raju has reiterated that it is the responsibility of the latter to implement them. This possibly indicates that some states are yet to do the needful.

"The minister's focus in the letter to states is on curb side security. Recent attacks at European airports have seen terminals being targetted. Therefore, there has to be adequate checking of vehicles and people headed to airports," said a senior ministry official.

Only two airports in India -- the ultra sensitive Srinagar and Jammu -- frisk passengers and scan baggages scanning before allowing them inside the terminals. In all other Indian airports -- like majority of the ones abroad except Israel -- passenger frisking and baggage scan happens deep inside the terminals. Replicating the Srinagar model at busy airports like Delhi or Mumbai could lead to chaos and serpentine queues and hence is considered impractical.

This year in June and March, Istanbul's Ataturk Airport and Brussels Airport were attacked, respectively, killing scores in both the places. Indian agencies are clearly trying to avoid such a situation here. Raju's letter is a reminder to states to spruce up security checks at approach roads to airports.

Even international agencies are now focussing on terminal security.

“Aviation security needs to evolve in step with changing threats... The global policy and regulatory framework has to adapt effectively and in a timely fashion to address this increasingly dynamic risk,” said Fang Liu, secretary general of UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation in a statement on Monday, ahead of an international conference to assess security gaps after the attacks in Brussels and Istanbul.

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