Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, June 24: In a major Security breach nearly 16 passengers travelling in Go Air flight today started offering prayers in the Apron Area of Port Blair airport at around 10.30 am, leaving security agencies in the state of great shock.
According to reports 16 members of a religious group, who reached Port Blair to participate in some religious gathering suddenly sat on the restricted, Apron area of Port Blair Airport, soon after getting down from Go Air flight, to offer prayers.
Port Blair Airport is actually a defence airport and the runway is shared by both civilian as well as defence aircrafts and helicopters.
“The Incident occurred when, the Go Air aircraft from Chennai just landed at Port Bair airport while the Go Air aircraft from Kolkata was about to reach and taxi to the apron area, where the prayers were offered. This could have resulted in a major disaster and injuries to these passengers who were in the apron area,” said a senior officer, on the condition of anonymity.
According to reports two senior officers of Police Department the Director General and the Inspector General of Andaman and Nicobar Police were also travelling on the same flight.
“The apron area is highly restricted area and as per norms let down by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security of India passengers must be dropped from Airport to flight and from flight to Airport by bus, which does not happen for the incoming passengers at Port Blair airport. This could lead to a major security problem in future,” the senior office added.
However, the Incharge of CISF refused to provide any detail about this incident to Andaman Sheekha even after calling Andaman Sheekha to office for a quote.
When contacted, the Director of Port Blair Airport, Mr. Monoj Kumar Gangal told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ that he is still waiting for a detailed report about this incident.
“Providing transport from flight to Airport is the responsibility of concerned Airlines, which is only an additional facilitation,” refusing to give further details, the Director said “as this is a defence airport, in this case there are matters, what can be shared and what cannot be shared.”
This is the prime responsibility of all Airlines Companies, Security agencies and AAI to ensure that all the passengers are brought out of the Apron area as soon as possible to avoid any kind of confusion, accident or any other incident but sadly in Andaman passengers, even elderly persons and patients, are asked to walk upto the Air Terminus from the flight with their luggage. Even in rain the Airlines companies never provide buses for passengers.
“When no one remains at the Airport to guide passengers upto the terminal, then people who are landing for the first time at Port Blair airport would definitely stroll around for sometimes,” said a passenger.
Today’s incident, which happened due to total mismanagement of security agencies at Port Blair Airport, resulted only in confusion and chaos at the airport. Tomorrow such negligence may result in a major disaster and hence the AAI must make it mandatory for all Airlines Companies to provide Buses for incoming passengers.
