NEW DELHI: Explosive Trace Device checks will be in place at airports in the national capital and Mumbai for Air India flights flying directly to the US, according to the government.
Such checks will be for portable gadgets that are larger than a smartphone in order to comply with directions issued by the US authorities for foreign air carriers.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued directions to commission Explosive Trace Device at "secondary screening check points" to comply with the requirement of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The TSA has made it mandatory for foreign airlines to perform Explosive Trace Device checks at secondary ladder point checks for all portable electronic and gadgets which are larger than a cellphone or smartphone in certain cases, he said.
"As such, instructions are applicable to airports in India as last port of departure stations for US-bound flights. Air India is operating flights to the US with New Delhi and Mumbai as last port of departure stations," the minister said.
In a separate written reply, he said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is expected to see a profit after tax of Rs 1,538.11 crore in the current financial year.
The airports operator, which manages 126 aerodromes, had reported a profit after tax of Rs 3,115.93 crore in 2016-17.
The AAI has already started action for payment of bonus to eligible employees in accordance with the provisions of the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015, he said.