The Bengaluru airport’s wait for the installation of full-body scanners is becoming longer

The first full-body scanners in the nation have been put through a rigorous testing process at Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2. This testing began last month. However, a top security officer said that using it on passengers would take months.

The scanners will be active at the Bengaluru airport in April, as revealed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). As of right moment, the top security officer said, “This is not a possibility.” Passenger safety is given high emphasis at KIA, the busiest airport in South India and the third biggest in the nation. These state-of-the-art scanners may aid in more thorough inspections.

These scanners, which cost Rs 1.75 crore (plus import tax) each, were imported by KIA, which was the first organization in the nation to do so. “It is 100 times more expensive than Door Frame Metal Detectors, which can cost anywhere between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1.75 lakh per unit, depending on the manufacturer,” the official said.

KIA’s Terminal 2 is home to three scanners that were bought many months ago. However, none of these are now in use. “We suggest using all three for people traveling inside the country. They had previously been intermittently trial-run by the Central Industrial Security Force. We have been doing the experiments consistently and methodically since last month.

They are not going to be put to use anytime soon. The CISF must inform the Center of its results and conclusions once it is pleased with the current trials. It is necessary to do a demonstration and get the Center’s permission. It will take considerably longer to implement in April and cannot possibly be done so,” he said.

The official emphasized that it was a clear misperception among passengers—especially women—that the scanning would pick up intimate body parts. “This device is not an X-ray scanner. It scans the body fast and doesn’t record anything. He clarified, “They are not radiation generators; they are millimeter wave scanners.

Unlike the DFMD, or hand-held metal detector, which only sounds an alarm about metallic materials, the scanner would assist in locating hidden non-metal things inside the body as well. It would only take 30 to 40 seconds to scan a passenger if they go through it after taking off any jewelry, belts, watches, and other accessories. However, he adds, “the individual must go back, queue up, and repeat it if any object remains.”