Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Odisha capital will soon have inline baggage screening system, a top airport official said.

The hi-tech baggage checking system will enhance the passenger convenience at the airport here which is witnessing an increasing trend in passenger traffic since the first flight to abroad in April last year.

“The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has agreed and we are planning to have it (inline baggage checking) at BPIA by end of September or at best by end of this year,” said BPIA director Suresh Chandra Hota.

He said that introduction of inline screening would not only upgrade the security system with automated screening but also speed up the baggage movement as well.

Further explaining about the advantages of the technology, Hota said that the system would do away with baggage screening before check-in. The baggage screening will be done after check-in once the facility is installed. It will allow the Airport Authority of India to integrate screening machines, including explosives detection systems (EDS), with the airport's baggage conveyor system.

The screening system, considered one of the biggest security upgrades in civil aviation since 9/11, will scan the baggage many times faster than the current system. The current system screens baggage piece by piece.

The check-in baggage, gliding along the conveyor, will be screened automatically by a machine fixed to the system. The machine will clear more than 70 per cent of the baggage without any manual intervention.

The baggage rejected by the first machine will be manually screened in another machine integrated to the conveyor.

If the baggage fails the second screening, it will be taken off the conveyor and the passenger will be called in. The baggage will then be physically examined in the presence of the passenger. The new system will facilitate more efficient baggage security screening. It will reduce passenger congestion at the entry point or check-in area by relocating the screening machines to non-public areas. It will also enhance overall safety and security of airline travel.

Currently, the screened baggage remains with the passenger till he or she checks in. This, from the security point of view, leaves room for tampering with the baggage that is already screened for explosives and weapons. The Airport Authority of India will address this concern by introducing inline baggage screening system.

Trained Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) personnel will be in charge of the inline screening system. At present, airline security employees screen the baggage. The responsibility of inline baggage screening will be taken off the airline staff and given to CISF personnel, Hota added.