New Delhi, June 25: Government is contemplating doing away with frisking of passengers at all airports in the country except in unusual circumstances and thereby enhancing customer-friendly security procedure. "We would like a firm and friendly procedure as far as security is concerned at the airports," Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters after speaking at an orientation programme on customer care and facilitation for CISF officers here today.

Dismissing reports that the government was completely doing with physical frisking of air passengers, Rudy said that nowhere the security personnel were barred from frisking if they had any suspicion about a passenger. However, senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said that screening of passengers through scanners had already been introduced in Delhi Airport and would be extended to other metro airports.

Stating that efforts were being made for introduction of "friendly" service without affecting security aspects, the minister said that the authority also cannot overlook the "perpetual" threat perceptions that the country was facing. On the ambitious modernisation of airports at Delhi and Mumbai, Rudy said that the task was a very import agenda and receiving utmost attention of the government. He, however, declined to set any time frame for the project.

On the acquisition of aircraft for Indian Airlines and Air India, he said though it was the need of the day, it has to be a transparent process.

Bureau Report