Due to escalating tensions with Pakistan, security measures at all Indian airports have been heightened significantly. The Civil Aviation Security Agency (BCAS) implemented a ban on visitor arrivals for all flights, along with a mandatory 100% secondary screening process for passengers and their cabin bags before boarding. Enhanced checks on luggage, cargo verification, and stricter ID checks for passengers and staff have been enforced. Additionally, airport ground handling monitoring and security checks on aircraft and catering services are now required.
In response to recent attacks and increased security concerns, airports are to activate rapid response teams and maintain bomb detection readiness. Vehicle and personnel checks will intensify in terminal and parking areas, along with heightened surveillance of freight terminals and unscheduled flights. As part of these changes, Air India is advising passengers to arrive at the airport three hours prior to departure, with a check-in deadline of 75 minutes before flight time.
Commercial flight operations are currently suspended at 25 airports, mostly near the Indian-Pakistan border or at Indian Air Force bases, leading to over 400 daily flight cancellations, especially affecting major airlines like Indigo. The airports impacted include those in Srinagar, Jammu, and Amritsar, among others.
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