KOCHI: A total of 30 security breaches have taken place at Indian airports in the past five years with Mumbai airport topping the list with seven security breaches (2011 and 2012) followed by four security breaches at Delhi (2012 and 2014) and three at Madurai (2011).
The airports that witnessed two security breaches each are Cochin international airport (2011), Chennai (2011 and 2012), Goa (2011 and 2012), Kangra (2012 and 2013), Kolkata (2011) and Nagpur (2012 and 2015) while Udaipur (2011), Guwahati (2012), Coimbatore (2011) and Bhubaneswar (2011) witnessed one security breach each.
The latest security breach took place at the Nagpur airport on February 5, 2015 preceded by two security breaches at Delhi on June 20 and 21 in 2014.
The disclosure was made by MOS for home affairs H.P. Chaudhary in the Rajya Sabha in a reply to a starred question on February 25 this year, which has been accessed by RTI activist D.B. Binu.
The details were provided by the ministry of civil aviation, the minister said. The reply has featured security breaches that started with the incident at Kolkata airport on February 5, 2011.
Most number of 16 security breaches took place in 2011 followed by 10 in 2012, one in 2013, two in 2014 and one this year.
The minister said that the bureau of civil aviation has taken steps to strengthen security arrangements with the time-bound deployment of CISF and Quick Response Team.
“In the light of the Karipur incident in Koz-hikode where CISF jaw-ans too are in the dock, the issue of security cover at airports needs a re-look,” said Mr Binu.
