The Indian aviation industry is growing at a rapid pace, becoming the third largest domestic market globally. According to DGCA data, over 3.75 crore people traveled on domestic flights in the three-month period of January-March 2023, registering a growth of nearly 57 per cent. Despite such a high influx of air travelers, India is one of the safest countries when it comes to aviation security. In fact, India recently retained its Category 1 status under the United States Federal Aviation Administration’s Aviation Safety Assessment Program.
The security of airports and airlines in India comes under the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), an independent body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that looks after everything related to the security of India’s aviation industry. It was initially a part of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Security at most airports in India is taken care of by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
However, a recent tweet regarding a security check by an airline ground staff has sparked a debate on Twitter, the social media site run by Elon Musk. A journalist posted a picture of an IndiGo ground staff employee frisking passengers with a metal detector before boarding a bus at Terminal 1 of the Delhi airport. According to the Twitter user, this security check is “unnecessary” when CISF security gate checking has already been completed.
He also tagged Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on the post, who replied to the user saying, “Will look into it.” While many users supported his claim, others refuted it by saying that this security check is mandated by BCAS and is called Secondary Ladder Point Security (SLPC).
In Delhi T-1,@ Indigo 6EMetal detectors to search every passenger before boarding the bus! Seems they don’t trust CISF security gate checking. Unnecessary and does the airline even have this mandate?@JM_Scindia pic.twitter.com/3WPZRw8eGN— Aman Sharma (@AmanKayamHai_) April 15, 2023
secondary ladder point protection
Secondary Ladder Point Security (SLPC) is a secondary level security procedure mandated by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) under which airline staff have to search passengers and their baggage after security clearance from CISF just before boarding. plane. The SLPC was mandated after the Pathankot airbase attack in 2016 and a hijack alert issued by intelligence agencies during the same period.
SLPC is mostly for airlines that transport their passengers from aircraft to parked aircraft. This means, airlines like Indigo, GoFirst and SpiceJet, which take off from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 of Delhi airport, follow the SLPC process, with limited aerobridge access.
Under this, the airline searches passengers and their cabin bags with hand-held metal detectors, similar to those used by the CISF at airports. In special situations when the security alert is high, especially on occasions like Republic Day, SLPC may also take place on the aerobridge.
Many passengers and airline officials feel that SLPC is a time-consuming and tedious endeavour, forcing passengers to reach the airport hours before departure.