Airport security to make checking electronic devices easier

New Delhi: Airport security checks may get easier as an aviation security watchdog is working on modern equipment that will screen electronic devices while they are in bags.

In the current method, passengers have to lay out their laptops, phones, and charges in a separate tray for security checks. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)'s machine will screen bags without removing electronic devices. The equipment may roll out within a month, reported The Hindu.

They will be first installed in major airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. The other airports will have it within a year. Until now, passengers stay in queues for hours to be done with check-in and security. This also often leads to flight delays.

These modern baggage scanners are already in use at airports in the US and Europe.

A Union Civil Aviation Ministry official said the goal is to clear the passengers faster and with better security equipment.

With December being at the centre of the holiday season, air travel has increased and airports in Delhi saw a drastic increase after two years of restricted travel. The congestion forced IndiGo to ask passengers to arrive at least 3 1/2 hours early for check-in.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the main domestic and international terminals of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi now have more x-ray machines and staff to deal with the rush. Additional measures are being taken at other airports in Mumbai and Bengaluru as well. "In the last 24 to 36 hours, all agencies have swung into action to mitigate congestion at every checkpoint at all major airports. Congestion at entry points and check-in counters at T3 has eased."