It is high time Airports and Airlines improve baggage security

Security, amenities and pilferage of baggage on our domestic and international airports are the issues air-travel passengers are circumspect of. The ministry of overseas Indian affairs and civil aviation confirmed 15 instances per month involving complaints about pilferage etc of baggage of airline passengers in last one year. These instances do happen despite the
installation of CCTV camera system and monitoring by the CISF and airlines’ staff on the airports.

Mr. Parimal Nathwani, the rajya sabha member raised series of questions in the current session of parliament about the plights of air-travelers. He, being also a top executive of RIL, is one of the most frequent fliers and often come across such instances.

He said that airlines and airport authorities inflicted not only delays and tariff-hike on the passengers but also made passengers wary about the security, breakages, tampering and pilferages of their luggage. He added that airlines handled the transfer-luggage in the most negligent manner and most of the time the thorough-checked in luggage bags either missed the connecting flights or reached the destination in damaged or tampered condition.

It was high time the airport authority and the concerned airlines improved the working of their respective ground-staff on the air-ports; Mr. Nathwani said. About Ahmedabad international airport, Mr. Nathwani said that installing of CCTVs at international terminal was still not complete and there was no sign so far for central inquiry system as well as centralized phone inquiry system.

Mr. Nathwani hoped that the CISF and the Air-port Security Units would strengthen their surveillance and deploy adequate manpower for security of registered baggage; as assured by Mr. Vyalar Ravi, the civil aviation minister in the house.