Airlines’ security procedures under lens after AI stun grenade incident

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has begun a comprehensive security audit for all airlines, after the recent Air India episode which saw various arms tying themselves up in knots. A senior official in the ministry said all airlines will be evaluated on their security procedures by senior ministry officials over the next few weeks. The ministry will examine whether airlines have adequate manpower to conduct mandatory security checks before each flight and whether airlines are following guidelines laid down by BCAS - Bureau of Civil Aviation Security - in this regard.

The official also said that in the case of Air India, inspection revealed close to 1,000 vacancies in the department which oversees aircraft security. "We have asked the airline to fill these up soon", he said without elaborating.


This official also said that as per BCAS guidelines, seven people are needed to complete security check of an aircraft - four for guarding it and three to inspect it. This means a huge requirement of manpower which many airlines are unable to deploy because of cost considerations.

The decision to evaluate security procedures of all airlines comes after a security scare aboard an Air India aircraft in which a used stun grenade was found earlier this month.
Read news in full 13/10/14 Sindhu Bhattacharya/First Post