No need for cabin baggage tags in 6 Indian airports

 

How often has it happened that you in a rush forgot to tag your handbag and at the luggage screening you were sent back to the ticket counter to get one? Well, you don’t need to dread that anymore as Central Industrial Security Force officials have announced that handbags need not be tagged anymore.

 

 

The move is being considered to make air travel less cumbersome and partly revolutionising it. Before you rejoice, there is news, this is pilot project which will be implemented in five airports across the country, - Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru and if successful in these places, it will be followed at other airports as well.

 

 

“Starting December 15, we are beginning a pilot project at six major airports where passengers will not be required to get the security stamp on the tags on their hand baggages. They can get their other security checks done and board their flights. This is a passenger friendly measure that we have initiated,” CISF Director General O P Singh said. As per rules now, a passenger flying to a destination, either within the country or abroad, has to get a security stamp on the tag put on his or her hand baggage that they take with them in the aircraft.

 

 

The stamp ensures that the baggage has been thoroughly checked and is safe to be carried in the plane. During the meeting, called to enhance cooperation between the operators and CISF and also to strengthen security of these sensitive facilities, the DG also flagged the number of instances of thefts taking place from registered baggages of fliers even as he suggested deploying of more CCTV cameras and enhanced surveillance of the loading staff.

 

 

Cabin baggage tags serve only a basic function of informing that the security check is complete. It should not be a big issue like the security personnel at the airport make it out to be.

 

 

Did you know? No other airport in the world has this practice, save Indian airports. Cabin bag tags were introduced to facilitate identification of one’s bags, so that if in case your baggage is placed somewhere else in the cabin you could find it. Also in case you forget your cabin baggage at the airport somewhere it would be easy for Lost and Found department to return it to you. However, as we know that is not the case in India, the cabin bag tags does not have your name on it just a security stamp. And it also helps to curb people taking in excess baggage on board.

 

 

Previously, there were also reports that the aviation security regulator is also planning to do away with paper boarding pass as well.

 

Inputs from PTI