The bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS) had a meeting with chopper operators from the Juhu airport on Saturday. BCAS laid down a series of guidelines for the operators, asking them to take up measures to allay a terror attack hinted at by a recent intelligence bureau (IB) alert.
The alert indicated that a truck of explosives might enter gate number eight, which is near the general aviation (GA) terminal, of the Juhu airport, and also that terrorists might target smaller aircraft. But it doesn’t seem to have been taken seriously by the airport management. BCAS, which lays down rules pertaining to civil aviation security, had a meeting with operators at Juhu airport specifically, because the security there is nil. “The operators have been told not to fuel the choppers completely. This is to lessen the damage in case an explosive-laden truck tries to crash into a chopper,” says an official from Juhu airport. Operators have also been asked to not attach the ground power unit (GPU) till the aircraft is ready for take-off, to make sure no terrorist can infiltrate any of the aircraft,” the official says.
But the operators feel that not fuelling the chopper tanks completely could prove fatal. “It might affect the aircraft in the long run. About the GPU, we don’t attach it till the pilot boards the aircraft,” says a chopper operator. While the security at the general aviation terminal has been strengthened, and one CCTV been installed at gate number eight, the security is still quite lax.
“We have been asked to frisk passengers who come onboard. There is no security hold at Juhu, nor any CISF official to do the checking. So it is our responsibility to frisk the passenger and check his baggage,” says a charter operator on condition of anonymity.“We also have to give a copy of the passenger manifesto along with a copy of identity proof to BCAS. New passengers (those who aren’t regulars) have to get police verification done before we fly them around,” he says.
Operators have also been asked to ensure old employees go through appropriate verification, and to be extra careful while employing new people. “We have officials from the Maharashtra security guards’ board who are not that well versed with aviation security. So 100 more cops are likely to be deployed there. Thirty two cops have been posted at Juhu on Saturday.The central industrial security force (CISF), which was present at the meeting, has also promised to deploy more people by next month,” he said.
The operators, however, feel that more needs to be done. “The slum encroachment around the airport is a big threat and we pointed that out.But some government officials present said that it was not possible to remove them due to political pressure,” says another operator.
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