Click! Now you can shoot at the airport

The ban on taking pictures in the airport had been in place for 66 years defying both common sense and technology—satellite pictures of airbases, including Indian ones, are freely available on the web and cellphones today come equipped with cameras.

A fact said to have been acknowledged by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Rajiv Pratap Rudy. ‘‘This is something which is allowed at all airports in foreign countries, so why should we put restrictions?’’ Rudy said.

The restrictions date back to a decade before Independence but when the Raj left, only a minor amendment was introduced: if you wanted to take pictures inside the airport, as per Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules Act, you had to seek written permission from an official not lower than a Deputy Director in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The permission would come only after consultation with the Ministries of Defence and Home.

This restriction stays for in-flight photography, taking pictures of aircraft bays and in civilian enclaves in defence airports. The Ministry has proposed lifting this as well but the matter has been referred to a committee of Secretaries.

Amendments to in-flight and aerial photography, sources say, will automatically result in changes to rules which regiment even the carrying of still and video cameras on board the aircraft.

Meanwhile, clarifications are being sought whether the changes also apply to commercial photography. A section of officials in the Airports Authority of India say that commercial photography should be allowed but at a cost which will add to the airport’s revenue.