Employees of airlines and airline lounges, duty-free shops and ground handling companies at airports that are deemed to be vulnerable to terrorist threats will be under the watch of security agencies in a preventive measure that’s in line with a government plan to make airports safer for travellers.
Treating “insider risk” as the next major challenge confronting the aviation sector, the civil aviation ministry has decided to restrict the movement of employees working on airport premises and carry out periodic security audits/assessments on them. The ministry has recommended an Intelligence Bureau-led verification of those posted at critical points on the premises, according to two officials familiar with the development.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is wary of any employees — contractual or permanent — getting radicalised or associating with any terrorist group or hostile spy agency. Those who fall in the category of “insiders” include management and support staff, contract security staff, vendors, flight crews, airline ticketing agents, aircraft mechanics, baggage handlers, contractual aircraft custodial crews, catering staff, law enforcement employees, customs agents, security screening personnel and air traffic controllers.
“They usually have trusted and verified positions that give them access to secure areas, critical infrastructure and sensitive information at the airport(s), hence it is imperative that we have countermeasures which include checking antecedents of everyone working at an airport on a regular basis, have biometrics, PIN codes, proximity cards, vehicle identification and regular training and awareness programmes for insiders,” said a senior ministry official.
Globally, agencies overseeing security at airports have come around to the view that the movement of employees working at airports need to be tracked, an official at the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) said. “Whenever an attack is planned, some insider will help those who will plan it from outside. So the people who work at the airport need to be watched,” the official said. BCAS, which frames guidelines related to aviation security, issues an Airport Entry Pass (AEP) to employees at airports and takes local police help for background checks on airport employees. It will now switch to IB verification in select cases.
