XBIS will cut through waiting time at airport

XBIS will cut through waiting time at airport
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Frequent flyers from Bangalore International Airport no longer have to wait for baggage clearance before they board a flight. The HAL airport in the city will soon have an advanced X-ray Baggage Inspection System (XBIS), that will considerably reduce baggage scanning time.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to install the new system at a few select airports in the country, including Bangalore. XBIS will supplement existing systems and it can scan around 20 pieces of baggage a minute, sources said.

``Within the next 20 days, we will install XBIS at the international departure terminal at the airport,'' Bangalore Airport Director Krishnamurthy told this paper. ``The new system will help reduce time taken to scan registered baggage,'' he added.

The system works like this: Once baggage is placed on the XBIS, X-ray images are generated on computer screens constantly monitored by operators sitting inside their office. While cleared luggage will go to the loading area, suspicious ones will be segregated for further checks by officials.

Sources said the system will be a great relief to passengers as clearance of registered baggages takes lot of time, specially when two or more flights are lined up for take-off around the same time.

Apart from its passenger-friendly role, XBIS is also very effective in detecting explosives and other suspicious materials. Aviation security has undergone a major change after 9/11 attacks in the US. Security at the airports in the country has been tightened and a number of other measures have been taken to make the system foolproof.