E-gate at Bengaluru airport, breeze through security check

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru International Airport Ltd has introduced automated e-gates at the Kempe Gowda International Airport on a trial basis at the domestic pre-embarkation security check areas.

To pass through this gate, passengers can flash their 2D barcoded paper or mobile boarding pass at the e-gate, which opens automatically upon verifying the validity. The relevant details are also displayed on the associated screen inbuilt into the e-gate.

The passengers proceed for the mandatory security check and thereafter enter the security hold area. The e-gate effectively eliminates the need for a manual security stamp on the boarding pass and CCTV cameras have been deployed as an additional security measure. Once passengers cross the e-gate, they do not produce their boarding pass again until boarding begins.

This is being deployed on selected flights only for one lane and will progressively expand in scope, subject to mandatory government clearances. The e-gate unit has been provided by KABA, Germany.

Passengers can now take control of their passage through the security checkpoint, reducing stress, errors or inconsistencies, and improving their experience. The removal of manual stamping and enabling of e-boarding is a step taken forward to automate the security environment at airports thereby ensuring better compliance with security protocol.

HAL airport closure: HC reserves verdict

The high court on Tuesday reserved it verdict on the petitions challenging the closure HAL airport. The employees of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and others had challenged the closure of HAL airport. The petitioners had contended that HAL airport could be kept open for short-haul domestic flights and a public airport could not be closed because of the opening of a private airport.