Passengers whine after being asked to remove belts at Hyderabad airport
HYDERABAD: In the past few weeks, following the terror attacks in Pulwama of Jammu & Kashmir and the recent bombings in Sri Lanka, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have taken extra measures to ensure the safety of passengers.
One of these measures is to ask the passengers to remove their belts, and other metal objects. Passengers claim this was not the case before, and the cumbersome task of removing, and wearing, a belt is leading to delays in their journey.
In spite of the passengers complaining of ‘inconvenience’, officials maintain that they are only doing what is necessary. Speaking to Express, CISF IG CV Anand said, “These measures, in fact, are additional responsibilities for the security personnel. They are meant for the safety of the passenger.”
According to the guidelines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), a passenger has to compulsorily remove belts, or any other metal object they might be carrying on them. However, it was rarely followed in order to facilitate faster clearance.
“No doubt, the new measures will lead to some delays. But it cannot be helped. We appeal to passengers to cooperate and be patient. We also advise that they arrive a little early at the airport to avoid these delays. After all, security of passengers is a joint effort of people, CISF and the airport operator,” said Anand.