Airport security: CISF steps up individual profiling of passengers

However,aviation security experts say the real threat comes from the country’s smaller airports — about 80 in all. “Really speaking,if security is foolproof you don’t have to worry,but the list of people who are exempt from security checks at airports is disturbing,” said air safety expert Captain A. Rangnathan. “Whenever there is a threat perception,they only check the bigger airports,” he said.

Officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry said the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) circular,warning of a possible fidayeen attack,was a routine advisory. “We have secured all airports across the country and standard operating procedures have been applied. There was an intelligence brief that there was a threat perception,but there are so many coming in every day,” said M. Nambiar,Secretary,Ministry of Civil Aviation.

“As far as individual profiling is concerned,more often we act on our gut feelings,after looking at the appearance of a particular person,” said a CISF official.

Sanjay Prakash,senior commandant,CISF,Mumbai airport,said,“the threat perception is there,but our operating procedures remain the same. It is the level of alertness that has to go up.”

“There is nothing foolproof even if the intention is there. We’re all human and we remain alert,but that cannot happen all the time. Threats such as these will never deter me from doing my job and that feeling is shared by all pilots,” said a senior commander from Kingfisher Airlines.