Airport entry norms may be eased

NEW DELHI : The ministry of civil aviation has proposed relaxation of norms for issuance of airport entry passes (AEPs) to airline and airport employees, according to ministry officials familiar with the development.

The move is likely to provide relief to pilots, cabin crew and other airport staff who have to make the rounds of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to get permanent and temporary passes for access to various parts of the airport.

To speed up the process, which currently takes 3-4 months, the ministry proposes issuing the pass within a month — like the Tatkal passport procedure — without waiting for the applicant’s police verification report, the officials said.

“The regional director of the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) will initiate police background check within seven days. Once the report is received, it should not take the regional director more than five days to issue the pass. Earlier, there was no timeline as the meeting of the committee that approves AEPs used to be held once every quarter,” one of the ministry officials quoted above said.

In case of pilots, the AEP is likely to be valid for an additional 30 days beyond the day his or her flying licence expires, as it is at present. This will ensure that the pilots will no longer have to sit around for three-four months to get fresh passes issued.

According to the proposed norms, foreign pilots will be able to get temporary airport entry passes (TAEP) for seven instead of three days, as stipulated under the rules for non-Indians. An airline official said the proposed move would help plan and manage the employee roster better.

Proposal states, “AEP shall be issued, even if background check is not received, within one month. The background check report shall be reconciled post issuance of AEP mandatorily within three months.