Key Points
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has ordered airlines and airport operators to allow passengers on delayed flights to return to the terminal, a directive that will bring major respite to flyers particularly in the winter when dense fog often leaves fully boarded jets stranded in departure queues.T)..
Airports will now need to make arrangements so that passengers who return to the terminal can be frisked again before they are allowed to board the plane again, addressing a critical security gap that made airlines reluctant to allow passengers to deboard..
Hasan added that airport operators have been asked to make arrangements in the departure area for frisking of the de- boarded passengers and the rule will apply to both domestic and international flights..
It is also unclear how it will also address another issue that leads to passengers being stranded in aircraft: typically, airlines refrain from unloading passengers because it is only when doors are closed that flights are placed on the departure queue..
According to the erstwhile practice, passengers were not allowed to return to the boarding area and were instead taken to the exits at the arrivals, from where they picked up their baggage and would then have to go through the check-in procedure afresh including bag drop and security at the departure side. . To keep pace with development in this ever-changing sector, upgrading rules and regulations is a must, Hasan said..
