Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Jun 18, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Jun 18, 2002 |
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Logistics
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Airlines Export cargo X-ray scan date extended Our Bureau
COIMBATORE, June 17 THE Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) in the Ministry of Civil Aviation has extended the deadline for compulsory X-ray scanning of all export cargo booked through international airports. BCAS had issued an order early this year asking the air operators, including the airlines handling export cargos, to go for X-ray scanning of international cargos from June 1 onwards. It has now extended the time for compulsory X-ray scanning till October 1, according to reliable sources here. The extension is expected to give a breather to some of the air operators, including individual airlines, particularly in the smaller airports where the low volume of export cargo handled may not justify the induction of X-ray scanning machines. It is said that while major international airports are already equipped with X-ray scanning machines, the B and C grade airports where international flights are operated and export cargos booked lack this facility. These airports subject export cargos to physical examination. As a measure of security, export cargos that were not subjected to X-ray examination were left for the 24-hour cooling off after screening. BCAS, which has tightened the airport security in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, is discouraging the airports from resorting to the 24-hour cooling-off system for export cargos. Even as it insists on all cargos being subjected to X-ray scanning, the bureau does permit physical check for export cargo consignments that cannot be subjected to X-ray screening due to size constraints. According to sources, besides the high costs involved in procuring X-ray scanning machines, the shortage of trained manpower was holding up the early implementation of X-ray scanning. It is said that modern X-ray scanning machine costs more that Rs 60 lakh apiece. The air operators were collecting user-charges from the shippers booking the export cargo to meet the investment burden.
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