Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) is all set to become the first in India to have full-body scanners at the security checkpoint.
The body scanners will be situated at airports deemed as 'hypersensitive'. The other airports include Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Along with them, three airports in Jammu and Kashmir are also included in the list, reports Hindustan Times. This initiative was made mandatory by the Bureau for Civil Aviation Secretary (BCAS).
Before installing the body scanners, a trial run at KIA began on July 1 and is expected to go on for three to four weeks.
"Based on specifications issued by the BCAS, BIAL is using body scanners with Millimetre Wave (illumination) technology. This technology ensures that the scanners are safe for pregnant women and people with pacemakers," a spokesperson for Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) was quoted as saying by HT.
"As per the Government of India guidelines, Bengaluru airport has been advised to go live with body scanners by April 2020. BIAL is currently working towards ensuring that all Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs) would be replaced with body scanners in the security hold areas and at least one set of DFMDs shall be retained for screening of passengers/ persons with medical conditions/ reduced mobility. This decision, however, would be based on the outcome of the PoC," the BIAL spokesperson also said.
With the installation of the body scanners, travellers needn't go through frisking. The BCAS had given travellers the choice of not having to go through the full body scanners but they were to have a full-body pat down.
