Govt urges airlines to introduce one handbag rule to ease airport chaos

Aviation security regulator BCAS has asked airlines to strictly enforce the rule which mandates that only one hand bag is allowed per passenger. A memo issued by the security regulator to airlines and airports said that not enforcing the rules was a primary reason for congestion at airports. “It has been seen that an average passenger carries 2-3 hand bags to the screening point. This has led to increased clearance time as well as delays, congestion and inconvenience to passengers. It is therefore felt that enforcement of the aforesaid circulars must be ensured by all stakeholders,” it added. “All airlines and airport operators may be instructed to take steps to implement 'One Hand Bag rule' meticulously on ground to ease out the congestion and other security concerns. Airlines may be made responsible and depute staff to guide passengers and check and verify their hand bag status before allowing the passenger for pre-embarkation security checks, “ the memo added.

However airline executives said that the regulator’s own rules allows passengers to carry multiple other things along with one hand bag making the “One Hand Bag Rule” virtually impossible to implement. Besides one hand baggage, the existing rules permit a passenger to carry one laptop bag, one ladies’ hand bag, and one blanket, gift item purchased from duty free shop, umbrella, and a reasonable amount of reading material on board an aircraft. “How is it possible to enforce this rule when the government’s own rule permits multiple other things? The regulator should be clear in its instruction and not create confusion for frontline staff of airlines,” an executive of a private airline said. People aware of the development said that a few parliamentarians had complained to civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia regarding congestion at security checks. Following that the regulator was asked to implement steps to ease congestion. “We had a meeting with the representatives of airlines and have told them to impose the rule. It takes more time to clear multiple baggage,” the security agency said. The official said that passengers have a tendency to carry multiple baggage. BCAS found that the average number of bags carried in flight comes to 1.8 per passenger excluding laptop or purse.