Mumbai: Officers from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) have pointed towards the vulnerability of the new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower at the domestic airport to bomb blasts due to the proximity of the car parking. Officials have said that it would be easy for anyone to execute a car bomb, impact of which can bring down the entire building thereby also causing a “catastrophic” aviation disaster in the process.
“During a security audit, we found that the distance between boundary wall around the tower and the parking lots is not more than 10 to 15 metres, against the stipulated 100 metres according to Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) rules. Also, there are two wheelers parked right around the tower offering a clear chance to place explosives in one of the two wheelers. In case of a car bomb, the entire building would be destroyed with nothing to direct and guide flight operations which might also lead to a air crash,” said an AAI officer requesting anonymity. The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) is operated by infrastructure major GVK through an entity called as the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL). The AAI has a 26 per cent stake in MIAL with the remaining held by GVK.
CISF officials however said that all cars coming into the airport for parking are thoroughly checked along with routine patrols around the parking lots to detect suspicious activities. “We have armed check posts along with private security guards. The local traffic police also has a van with a public address system asking car owners to immediately leave the road leading to the various terminals whenever they pull over. Plus there are CCTV cameras everywhere to spot a suspicious vehicle. However pushing cars further away from the ATC tower is always more effective,” admitted a CISF officer. The MIAL spokesperson could not be reached for comments.
03/02/15 Asian Age
“During a security audit, we found that the distance between boundary wall around the tower and the parking lots is not more than 10 to 15 metres, against the stipulated 100 metres according to Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) rules. Also, there are two wheelers parked right around the tower offering a clear chance to place explosives in one of the two wheelers. In case of a car bomb, the entire building would be destroyed with nothing to direct and guide flight operations which might also lead to a air crash,” said an AAI officer requesting anonymity. The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) is operated by infrastructure major GVK through an entity called as the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL). The AAI has a 26 per cent stake in MIAL with the remaining held by GVK.
CISF officials however said that all cars coming into the airport for parking are thoroughly checked along with routine patrols around the parking lots to detect suspicious activities. “We have armed check posts along with private security guards. The local traffic police also has a van with a public address system asking car owners to immediately leave the road leading to the various terminals whenever they pull over. Plus there are CCTV cameras everywhere to spot a suspicious vehicle. However pushing cars further away from the ATC tower is always more effective,” admitted a CISF officer. The MIAL spokesperson could not be reached for comments.
03/02/15 Asian Age
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