Civil Aviation Ministry approved full‑body scanners for eight airports—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Ahmedabad—after a review of pilot projects that raised passenger comfort concerns. Three machines are operational, with the remaining five slated for rollout by mid‑July.
The Ministry is tweaking scanner algorithms to accommodate Indian clothing and cultural sensitivities, ensuring the system generates a generic 3‑D silhouette instead of a real image. This picture‑agnostic design keeps passengers’ identities hidden, flagging only objects that may be concealed, according to Secretary Samir Sinha.
The rollout follows a flydubai incident where a pilot was attacked with a sharp instrument while trying to stop a co‑pilot from crashing a Dubai‑to‑Tel Aviv flight, prompting heightened scrutiny of aviation security.
Ministry officials are currently analysing data from the three operational units to fine‑tune the screening process before full deployment, with complete rollout expected by mid‑July.
Parallel to the scanners, the Ministry is installing CTX machines that perform 3‑D baggage scans to detect explosives, with technical standards finalised after industry consultations.