Republic Day alert: Report early at Kolkata airport for extra checks

KOLKATA: Ahead of Republic Day, security has been stepped up at the city airport, where flyers have to undergo a second round of frisking and detailed scanning of their footwear and hand bags. Given the additional checking, which is lengthening the queues, the airport authorities as well as airlines have asked passengers to report at least three hours in advance to ensure they don’t get late for boarding.
For registered luggage, a second layer of manual checking has been introduced even after the bags have passed through x-ray.CISF officers said the tightened security measures were holding up flyers for at least an hour to 90 minutes before they could proceed towards security check-in. The enhanced frisking at the security check counters also led to long queues that almost reached the gates during the morning and evening peak hours.

The safety measures have been tightened since Sunday after a red alert was issued to all “sensitive” airports in the country. The red alert will be in force till January 31, till any further order is given out. According to the protocol, the checking is starting right outside the airport gate, followed by manual frisking at multiple points inside the airport and a second round of scanning between the boarding gate and the aircraft in the airside area. “Strict security measures, including ladder point check, have been enforced at the airport. We request our esteemed passengers to report early & cooperate with the authorities. Any inconvenience caused is regretted,” tweeted the Kolkata airport authorities on Monday. “We have begun sending texts to flyers to report at least three hours early,” said an airline official.
“We are organising intensive random checks in the city side of the airport, setting up check nakas at the approach to the premises. Any vehicle, seeming suspicious, are being stopped and checked thoroughly using under-view mirrors. The vehicles’ boot and interior are also being checked,” said a senior airport official. He added the bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs have been posted outside the airport and two QRT vehicles stationed at two ends.
The deployment of CISF has been double. Inside the terminal, over two dozen plainclothed personnel have been for random scanning of flyers on the go. Another checkpoint has been set up between the terminal boarding gate and the aircraft, where passengers are being stopped and their hand bags are being checked. “We have asked airline officials and CISF personnel to be courteous while asking passengers to cooperate. We have issued advisory to passengers, asking them to report early and be patient,” said airport director Kaushik Bhattacharjee.