With peak summer travel months approaching and most big Indian airports bursting at the seams with queues getting longer at terminals – for security checks and immigration – the aviation ministry has sent an urgent request to the government for increasing security and immigration manpower to ensure speedier processing times at these two vital check points.
This demand was raised at a meeting of Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi with his aviation counterpart R N Choubey as India’s existing airports are witnessing ever-growing footfalls. The exact enhancement of manpower requested by the aviation ministry could not be ascertained. Airport officials say the summer travel season rush is soon going to kick in and more manpower is desperately needed at immigration counters, especially to meet the peak hour rush at big airports. Indian airports now routinely see serpentine queues at security checks (both for entering terminal buildings and for frisking). “We hope the home ministry acts fast and gives us the extra people needed. Till the required manpower is given, we need to find an interim solution given the growth in passenger traffic at our airports,” said a source.
