NEW DELHI: The security cover by CISF at India’s Mumbai airport has been recognised as the best service in this domain by a global quality-rating agency.
The World Quality Congress (WQC) has awarded the best security award to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Based on the independent evaluation by the WQC, the awards are considered as recognition of excellence demonstrated by agencies in the commerce and industry space of the country/globe.
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) issued a statement on Tuesday, saying it will be given the award at an event in Dubai next month. A host of initiative taken by the CISF recently, including doing away with baggage tag stamping, a seamless handling of the rapidly increasing passengers, less waiting time at screening points manned by the force, thoroughness in security screening of passengers and hand baggages, among others, helped the CISF win the prestigious award, the statement added. CISF currently secures 59 civil airports in the country.
The Mumbai airport is the second busiest airport in the country and it handled 45.2 million passengers in the last fiscal year. Just as Delhi’s Indira Gandhi international airport, which is the busiest airport in the country, Mumbai airport is one of the hypersensitive airports in India.
CISF has been providing comprehensive security coverage to the Mumbai airport since 2002. As many as 5,000 of its personnel provide security at both domestic and international terminals, cargo complex, Santa Cruz air cargo terminal, airside perimeter wall and city-side approach road towards the terminal building.
The security functions of the CISF at the Mumbai airport include passenger frisking, hand baggage screening, CCTV surveillance, Quick Reaction Team (QRT), anti-hijacking response team, VIP movement handling, among others.
Pertinently, Delhi airport had won the best airport security award last year in a similar ranking. Last year, a survey was conducted by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ), in which security of Delhi Airport was adjudged best leaving behind other international airports such as Dallas, Heathrow, Paris and Dubai.
Raised in 1969, about 1.80 lakh personnel-strong paramilitary force currently provides security cover to key establishments such as nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive government buildings, among others.