Comprehensive Security Cover For More than 60 airports under UDAN scheme

Under the UDAN scheme, the government is scaling security measures for more than 60 airports in tier 3 and tier 2 cities to ensure maximum security of all the domestic air passengers across India, travelling from small air terminals. With the deployment of more than 1,600 troops, the airports will be brought under the anti-terror cover of CISF personnel.

The security of the airports is not uniform for the country under the UDAN scheme. Some of the airports under this scheme are secured by the state police troops while the CISF is guarding small airports like Shimla. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) proposal in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) and CISF awaits approval from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

CISF, the national civil aviation security force is providing security to 66 domestic and international airports of the country.

According to a senior official of Union Home Ministry, “The CISF will get the fresh manpower to guard all the UDAN airports from the pool of 3,049 posts that were abolished recently, from the airports that it is guarding, and replaced by hiring a total of 1,924 private security personnel for these tasks.”

57 personnel will be providing security to the airport, of which 27 personnel will be from CISF and the rest from the private security agencies. The lodging facilities will be provided by the Airport Authority of India and the state government to strengthen security.

The Union government introduced UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) with the objective to make air travel affordable to the masses who reside in tier 2 and tier 3 towns and cities.

Under this scheme, nearly 1.15 crore Indians from tier 2 and tier 3 cities experienced air travel, informed by the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia during a parliamentary session in December. The government is working towards establishing more airports under this scheme.

The minister also said that they are going to establish 68 new airports by the end of the year 2024.