BCAS wants new X-ray machines at airports to ease congestion

The aviation security watchdog, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), has ordered all major airports in the country to upgrade baggage X-ray machines by end of 2023 and mandated the use of the latest technology so that passengers will not have to remove electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones, and chargers during screening of handbags.

The aviation security watchdog, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), has ordered all major airports in the country to upgrade baggage X-ray machines by end of 2023 and mandated the use of the latest technology so that passengers will not have to remove electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones, and chargers during screening of handbags.

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The move comes months after airports such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru witnessed overcrowding in December last year when the country recorded the highest number of domestic travellers since COVID-19 during the holiday season, and government officials found shortcomings in the security infrastructure deployed by airports leading to longer queues.

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The BCAS has made adoption of CTX, an X-Ray Baggage Inspection System based on Computed Tomography (CT), for screening of cabin and hand baggage mandatory for all airports with more than 50 lakh annual passenger traffic by December 31, 2023. There are nearly 25 airports that fall in this category. All new terminals and airports will be required have these machines from the first day.

“We need the CT machines in order to upgrade security at airports. The technology it uses is superior as it can discover more prohibited items and the bonus is that it can also ensure better passenger experience because they don’t have to take out their electronic devices,” Director-General of BCAS Zulfiquar Hasan told The Hindu.

While the traditional X-ray machines currently used at airports produce a 2-D image, newer technologies such as CT produce a 3-D image with a higher resolution, and have better automated detection of explosives. They also have a low rate of false alarms which often lead to CISF personnel requiring a physical inspection of a bag. These factors result in a higher baggage throughput (or flow) through the machine.