Intensified security checks trigger major delays at Chennai airport

Chennai, Nov 19 International flight operations at Chennai Airport were disrupted on Wednesday morning, with several departures delayed by 30 minutes to an hour due to intensified, multi-layer security checks.

Long queues formed at security points as passenger screening slowed down significantly, following repeated bomb threat hoaxes and heightened national security measures.

Airport authorities said the enhanced procedures were implemented after a series of anonymous threat calls and in the wake of the recent car bomb explosion near Delhi's Red Fort, which prompted a nationwide security alert.

Chennai Airport has been operating a stringent five-tier security system since the incident, and continued hoax calls have forced officials to tighten outbound passenger checks further.

The stepped-up protocol now requires passengers to remove shoes, belts, jackets, and winter clothing for detailed scanning.

While standard practice at several international airports, the sudden intensification at Chennai has led to slower movement.

Many passengers, unfamiliar with the extended process, took longer to comply, further clogging the queues.

Additional screening at boarding gates also added to the overall processing time. The delays affected several early morning international departures.

Among the flights held up were Lufthansa to Frankfurt, Emirates to Dubai, AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore Airlines to Singapore, IndiGo to Doha, Thai Airways to Bangkok, Air Arabia to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, Etihad to Abu Dhabi and Oman Air to Muscat.

Higher-than-usual passenger traffic during the morning peak contributed to congestion at the security checkpoints.

Travellers expressed frustration over the long waiting time, urging authorities to deploy more Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel trained to handle high-pressure situations and rush-hour crowds.

Several passengers also highlighted communication barriers, noting that many CISF staff primarily spoke Hindi, leading to confusion among Tamil-speaking and English-speaking passengers.

They requested that more Tamil- or English-speaking personnel be assigned to key checkpoints to ensure faster instructions and smoother processing.

Passengers said that while they understood the need for strict security in the current climate, better staffing and clearer communication would significantly ease the pressure.

Airport officials said that security measures would continue at the current level until threat perception eases, and requested passengers to arrive early to avoid delays.

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