NEW DELHI: Air travellers from now on will not be required to stamp their handbags at security checks at seven major airports namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi and Ahmedabad.
The order was put into immediate effect. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Thursday issued an order in this regard.
"The present system of stamping hand baggage tags at pre-embarkation security checkpoints for seven airports, shall be dispensed with immediate effect," BCAS, aviation safety regulator said in an order.
Late last year, the BCAS and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) had conducted a drive for non-stamping at many airports for domestic passengers. That trial was conducted successfully.
A senior official with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said that it is keen on extending non-stamping to more airports.
The officials said this would further help in introducing biometric identification at boarding points at airports across the country. Besides, it would also stop stamping boarding passes and upgrade to introducing biometric boarding.