Bengaluru, Dec 8: If you have had to go back to security from the boarding queue of a flight because your hand baggage did not have the stamped tag, there is relief coming at five airports.
“We recently issued orders to do away with stamping of hand baggage tags at the time of security screening. The practice will be introduced on a pilot basis at five airports and if successful, may be expanded to other airports across the country. This will save passengers' time while boarding and will not be a security hassle in any manner,” Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey said.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which looks after security at airports, is likely to implement the move within a week, Mr. Choubey added.
In India, all cabin baggage must carry a tag which is rubber-stamped by security personnel once the baggage goes through the security scanner. This practice is not followed in the United States and European countries.
The move has been welcomed by representatives of air passengers, as it would speed up boarding. “There are many first-time fliers who are unaware of the need for baggage tags. They stand in the security queue only to be told much later, either by a fellow passenger or security personnel, that tags are required. Such passengers go all the way back to the airline counter to collect the tag, which leads to delays,” said D. Sudhakara Reddy, national president of Air Passengers' Association of India.
Time saving measure
Mr. Reddy said the move may also reduce CISF deployment at airports because there are guards deployed at boarding gates who verify the stamp on the tags. A lost tag currently requires the passenger to contact security personnel at the scanner. India recorded a growth in domestic air passengers of 18.8 per cent in 2015, compared to the previous year, according to World Air Transport Statistics. Passengers are also allowed to carry one hand bag weighing seven kg free of cost on flights.
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