Airport checks to go biometric

Tested in city, all airports may get the system

Passengers may soon be able to use biometric details for security checks at airports with the government putting in place the system after receiving “good feedback” for a pilot project that was run in Hyderabad.

Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told the news agency PTI that having biometric systems for passengers at airports appeared to be a good idea.

“Biometric access was experimented at Hyderabad (airport). The feedback was good... biometric system appears to be a good system security-wise,” Mr Raju said.

Without much fanfare, the authorities carried out a short-duration pilot project using the biometric system at the Hyderabad international airport last year.

Asked about the project, officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad said the biometric security check proved “every effective.” It was tested out last year, and was available only for domestic travellers. Airport officers said it had received “good response” from passengers.

The airport had also tried out e-boarding facility, which eliminated the need for manual stamping of boarding cards.

Asked whether the project for biometric systems would be rolled out at various airports, Mr Raju said a framework has been put up for the authorities concerned.

“Modernisation is a continuous process and they will keep doing it. I am not at BCAS or DGCA... We have to give them the policy frame (work). That is what we have done and we are working,” he said.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is responsible for security of the sector while the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the sectoral regulator. Airports Authority of India had awarded a contract worth over `110 crore to the public sector undertaking BECIL for providing biometric access control system at 43 airports.

This contract basically pertains to access for employees through biometric systems.