No frisking at airports; security checks to be contactless from May 25

With the government resuming domestic flight operations from May 25, security checks at the airport are set to be contactless and extremely minimal to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Both ticket verification and security checks at airports are handled by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The agency has come out with a plan to verify passengers’ tickets by having a glass partition at entrances.

Some airports like the one in Hyderabad have facilities like barcode readers and cameras that would help personnel check tickets without contact and by maintaining social distancing, CISF Director General Rajesh Ranjan told The Indian Express.

In the case of security checks, CISF personnel will avoid patting down passengers as much as possible. Passengers will be asked to remove themselves any metal items from their bodies. If the metal detector alarm beeps, they will again be asked to check themselves. The personnel will resort to frisking only when there is a second beep, Ranjan said.

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All CISF personnel will be provided with protective equipment like make and gloves and will the gears will be sanitised frequently, Ranjan said, adding that even metal detectors would be longer than usual.

Already, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had decided not to stamp boarding passes. It is also mandatory for passengers to wear face masks and carry hand sanitisers, while cabin crew will be required to be in full protective gear, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on May 21.

He added that based on experiences of operating domestic flights, the ministry may tweak some procedures before moving on to re-opening international flights. There were also reports that the Centre was considering the revival of international flights from next month.