VT On Security

What lies ahead for airport security this year

2009-04-17T20:17:00.000+08:00

The TSA's goal is to lift the restrictions on carrying liquids, aerosols, and gels aboard aircraft. Toward that end, the TSA has been rolling out new luggage screening machines that can tell the difference between a harmless drink and a deadly explosive. Already, about 500 of these AT X-ray machines have been installed. That number should be doubled by year-end.

By fall 2009, the TSA hopes to get rid of its rule that you must carry all of your liquids in a single clear bag. For a brief period, you'll probably still have to place all of your liquids in a plastic bin separate from your laptop and carry-on bag when passing through airport screening machines.

By next winter, the TSA hopes to lift its size restrictions on liquids, which now limit the carry-on size to 3.4 liquid ounces. The timetable depends on how quickly software updates can be installed on all of the machines and how quickly TSA agents can be trained to use the machines correctly. Officials with the British counterpart to the TSA, the transport ministry, have made a similar pledge.

Nurturing communalism

2009-04-17T20:12:00.001+08:00

Criminals have public support and community leaders are ready to espouse their cause. That is why many a politician thinks that one Muslim vote is worth double a Hindu vote

Home Minister P Chidambaram was right when he told the Press on April 2 that terrorism cannot be fought until communalism persists. The fact is that no Government in New Delhi since Independence has been able to establish deterrence against violence without which terrorist attacks cannot be prevented. To illustrate, the United States has not experienced any incident since 9/11 whereas we in India have suffered one attack after another.

To create deterrence one needs ruthless enforcement of laws and there are plenty of laws available, starting with the Indian Penal Code. So that a terrorist and more especially his allies, who aid and abet him, know how expensive in blood and life their mischief would be. They have to be treated as enemies of the state and not as ordinary criminals against society.

The first pre-condition of such a policy would be for the Government to practise scrupulous impartiality with regard to all trouble-makers. Unfortunately, no Government has been impartial towards the citizens. Every one of them has been partial to Muslims drawing inspiration from the Constitution, especially Articles 25 to 30. The Sachar Committee Report and its implementation is the latest example of this blatant partiality.

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Mumbai terror attacks -End result = Nothing.

2009-04-05T23:28:00.006+08:00

India’s political class has failed, they have failed this nation at every step, and they have lied to the nation and to the families of the innocent victims who have died in every terrorist attack on this country. Words fail me to describe the Indian political class

India is a weak country and it has a weak government, this is a known fact in the global corridors of power.

It is the Indians who elected a weak government. Remember 26/11 Mumbai attack? Or is it forgotten? The big question is what happened to the investigation? What happened to the dossier sent by India to Pakistan? (Was there a need to even talk to Pakistan regarding this case?)

What happened to the incessant rhetoric by the knaves and queen of India about punishing perpetrators of the attack? What happened to the rhetoric on 26/11 and Indian strategy of reigning terrorism?

All gone down the drain, those were television bytes for the people of India, just meant to control the rising anger and frustration of the people with this weak government, blast after blasts and nothing happened, a media savvy home minister would come and say" we are sorry for this".

Now that Pakistan has so clearly stated....that India can go and hop about doing any thing to the perpetrators of 26/11 attack,....what is the PM, home minister, foreign minister, NSA and the cabinet doing about it? Nothing...they are resting on there laural's of what they have achieved this far with this investigation.

The Congress party is very well known for appeasing the minority community, just to achieve there political goals, every thing they do or is done just please a certain section of Indian society.

The Indian media is also party to this game it has very conveniently side stepped the issue 26/11 Mumbai attacks and has killed it as they have done in the past with terrorist attacks on India...

Indian media has learned the craft of creating doubts in the minds of the people.... It no more talks about the attack or the victims or the investigation? Victims what victims...the terrorist is the real victim, the actual victim and his family are forgotten…

Where have all the loudspeakers and paper tigers vanished?

Currently they are hiding behind the grab of “pseudo secularism” and doing nothing as they are a worried lot, if they take had taken any action their vote bank would have been affected and they may not have fared well in the forthcoming general elections...

Do lives of Indians have no value?... Will our weak and scared government... continue to sacrifice the lives of Indians for its vote bank politics?

Every Indian has a right to ask these questions and DEMAND an answer from the current government which has hoodwinked a nation.

Terrorism can not be dealt with soft words or soft actions, if India has to fight terrorism then it has to return the same back with interest, the unwilling of Congress (UPA) to even follow the Supreme court of India’s ruling of death sentence for “Afzal Guru” the terrorist who was involved in attacking Indian Parliament shows that India is soft on terrorism and shows to what level the current ruling government will go to fight terrorism. The ruling Congress (UPA) is worried about the votes of the minority community and has refused to carry out the sentence.

A weak government which shies away from taking care of issues like terrorism does not deserve to be in power? Indians need to elect a strong government and have to end the dynastic rule of the weak.

India still lacks that critical mass of either middle class or educated people to put fear of god in the minds of Indian politicians, who are mired in corruption, well known for bad governance and have long criminal records yet they manage to win elections and find loopholes in the law and arrogantly sit in the Parliament, to some extend Indians are be blamed for this mess.

A nation, what ever it has achieved in the past....will always remain weak till the time it does not take care of its people.....a nations face is it's government and today the Indian government is weak from inside and in might.....and that reflects on the nation.

A media without ethics and government without spine make perfect soul mates each compliments the other. Today India has become a paradise for terrorist’s they know nothing will happen to them as there saviors rule now.

Mumbai Attacks--26/11

2008-12-16T13:46:00.003+08:00

India has a partly failed state on its west, a state which has no control over its own arms and intelligence agencies a state which has got nuclear weapons, a situation if not handled correctly and swiftly may see Taliban getting the nuclear weapons, Pakistan has followed the path laid down by the then military dictator Gen Zia and the then ISI head Hamid Gul who is known to have sympathies for the fundamentalists(Taliban ,AQ).

Today what we see is the extension of “Op Topac” and its use in Pakistani Foreign Policy, the use of it can be seen in India from 1980 onwards till date, Afghanistan and shades of it in China. instigating the Chinese muslims…Pakistan has a direct or indirect involvement in many global terrorist attack.

Still we sit and just watch as a robotic prime minister and an incompetent home minister have nothing concrete to say to this nation and are taking the nation to a collective hara-kiri.

This is the limit and the water has crossed the danger mark, the time of being "Politically Correct" is over, time has come to fight this threat with equal ruthlessness. The US fought in its own way and India will do so in its own way...There will be no quarter given or asked for and this time it will be as ruthless as it can get.

Domestic and the so called global, Islamic and Pakistani apologist just talk to people who think like them...but this is a nation of 1 billion and its pulse is speaking a very different language this time......and it is not the language of the apologists or what the biased International Media has to say or comment…..

The Indian government has woken up suddenly because this time as the Indian Elite was hit hard, earlier it was the common man who was blown to bits and was forgotten...

There was a trend emerging in Indian print, television media, NGO and the human rights org. that the terrorist is innocent the victims are to blame for where they were and what they have done....

With this attack the vested interests in both Indian print and television media who try and brain wash the Indian masses should know that this time the Indian people will not forget or forgive....them.

Indian media both print and television has become mouth piece of the politically correct and of a particular community apologists...

I wish this much hue and cry was made when Delhi, Jaipur Ahemdabad, Bangalore were hit by serial blasts.

This time the cream,Page-3 chittarati, the elite was hit the business community was hit and now every one is asking for an answer, people like us are just cannon fodder, we don’t get answers, we get blown to bits ,try and protect others, yet no response from the government but when the Elite gets hit the political class Shi---- in there pants.

Unlimited and Total Democracy in India is a failed political thought; It has taught generations of Indian’s “If some one slaps you show the other cheek” this time the people have realized that behind this shield the political class has been making merry and supporting the terrorists and over looking there deeds by saying they are misguided youths as this misguided youth and there community is there main political vote bank.

Time has come to follow the dictum of “An eye for an eye and Blood for blood” you don’t talk to a terrorist you kill him so that you have one less terrorist to deal with.

Mind sets have changed as a Billion strong people’s pulse is not in tune with the political class’s thought process….they better watch it this time….

There is a simple question for the politicians will attack be avenged??

Who is responsible for this attack on Indian soil by the Pakistani based Lashker e Tabia, where does the buck stop?

The politicians can not absolve them self by bullshitting on television and in print media and get escort free.As ever the Indian cabinet lost the window of opportunity for striking terrorist training camps based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

This is India…and you and I are cannon fodder for the Jihadis and there caretakers saviors….who are the Politicians and the Indian print and television media…..

Indians don’t want hollow words from hollow ,spineless politicians they want revenge and blood in return for blood lost.

The New Killing Fields (IGI Airport Delhi)

2007-10-24T11:19:00.000+08:00

Woman techie found dead at IGI Airport.
24 Oct 2007, 0329 hrs IST,TNN

NEW DELHI: A 29-year-old senior technician with Air Deccan was found dead, in mysterious circumstances, on a taxiway at the domestic airport here on Monday night. The police and airport authorities appeared foxed as the family members of the victim, Sansruti Sinha, suggested that it could be murder. The theory was ruled out eventually. The post mortem report said it appeared to be a case of "vehicular accident".

Sansruti, who was to get married soon, was spotted lying in a pool of blood at the airport's E taxiway around 10pm by a SpiceJet pilot. The pilot immediately informed the Air Traffic Control. The aiport manager was alerted. He called up the police at 10.10pm. Sansruti's head was badly crushed and there were severe injuries on other parts of her body.

The police say it seems to be a case of hit-and-run. Strange as it may seem, nobody saw Sansruti being hit by any vehicle. She was found lying on the edge of the taxiway. After talking to the Air Deccan staff, the police came to the conclusion that she was walking towards the hangar to examine an Air Deccan aircraft when she was hit by an unidentified vehicle.

Sansruti's wrist-watch had stopped functioning and showed 9.55pm when the cops examined her body. The police said it was due to the ‘impact' and that it proved there was no delay in informing the cops about the incident as had been suggested earlier.

The body was sent to the Safdarjung Hospital for autopsy and Sansruti's maternal uncle, who lives in Faridabad, was informed. The victim's parents live in Patna. The police have registered a case under IPC sections 279 (rash and negligent driving), 304A (causing death by negligence) and 201 (destruction of evidence). "We are not ruling out anything, but going by the nature of injuries and spot examination, it does seem that she was hit by a vehicle," said joint commissioner of police (operations) Aditya Arya.

he autopsy report also stated that it seemed to be a vehicular accident. It mentioned severe injuries on the skull and multiple fractures in the ribs.

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The ramp,air side as we call it is the most dangerous place at the airport, it is safer to walk on Delhi roads than on air side at IGI Airport.

The fog season is approaching and it is a daily tryst with death which all airlines employees take when they go to air side to to handle flights, only one of the reputed carrier gives its staff vehicles to move around the rest of us have to walk through "ZERO VISIBILITY" to reach the parking bays.This is not the first death on the air side some time back,a security staff of a airline was killed when he was guarding a aircraft , he was run over by a bus and died on the spot and that brought the AAI to enforce the safety jacket rule.

In another case the vehicle belonging to a LCC at early morning rammed in a jeep and was smashed to smithereens the driver was driving over 90 kmh on the taxi way, the same driver was famous for rash driving at the airport and was involved in many accidents and still he was given an ADP( airport driving permit)

There are fixed speed limits on the air side but most of the drivers don't follow these limits, the reason is that most of the drivers and in some cases all the drivers of the airlines are out sourced, they come from local agencies who make it to airport handling business by greasing palms all the way, in some cases the drivers don't even know how to drive a bus as they have never driven a heavy vehicle and some of them use the air side as a place where they learn how to drive.Accident are a common thing at IGI airport as drivers don't keep in speed limits as they are under pressure to move fast from one aircraft to another, they are untrained and caution is thrown to the wind.

Air Deccan started the out sourcing bug and to cut costs they picked staff of the lowest possible denominator so that costs are kept as low as possible, it is simple you don't pay well you don't get quality staff. It is always the man behind the machine who makes the difference not the machine. I don't think the LCC will agree to that for them.

The vehicle which hit the the Technician can not leave the airport , it would be parked at the airport, it is for the police to find that,if they want to.The DP test conducted by the AAI is a joke and any one can get an ADP, in some cases people have been driving with expired ADP and there is no one to check them.

As it is said airport is a place where many things happen in broad day light and in the silence of the dark night and they get buried deep there and then.

Dimonds worth 3.5 kg Dimonds stolen at Mumbai Airport......

2007-10-13T10:41:00.000+08:00

I did not post for some time as i have been was busy...and as a matter of fact we are on "fog stations" .. ack...misery and pain and now start the days of rookies getting lost on the ramp when there is dense fog...and crying for help late departure-arrival......well here the bad news.....

13 Oct 2007 Manju V & Nitasha Natu,Times Of India.

##MUMBAI: A consignment containing 3.5 kg of diamonds and gold jewellery was stolen from Mumbai airport on Thursday night. The theft took place after 9.30pm when a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok, TG 317, landed in Mumbai.

As per the norms, such consignments have to be received at the final destination by a team comprising officials involved with airport security (in this case the Central Industrial Security Force), the airlines' ground handling agency (which, for Thai Airways, is Air India) and representatives of the Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation. An airport custodian for precious cargo may also be present.

"But when the aircraft landed and the cargo was offloaded, the receiving team had not yet reached the spot," said an airport source. "One of the consignments contained only gold jewellery and the other had diamonds worth crores. They had both originated at different points, one from Auckland (New Zealand) and the other from Narita airport (Japan). The final leg of their journey was from Bangkok to Mumbai. The cargo was offloaded at Bay 53 at Mumbai along with other boxes," the source added.

The Sahar police have registered an FIR under section 379 of the Indian Penal Code for theft and have rounded up for questioning dozens of workers and officials who had been present in the area on Thursday night. There is some discrepancy over what happened next. The airport source said the two consignments were then "left on the tarmac without any special attention". However, Rakesh Maria, joint commissioner (crime) for Mumbai police, said, "After the stolen container was offloaded at the Mumbai airport, it was to be stored in a secured area. But the handlers put it in an area where empty containers are stored.

Minutes later, the receiving team arrived near the plane only to find that all the cargo had already been offloaded. The team rushed to the cargo complex where all containers are usually taken. The cargo complex maintains a register of every container that enters its gates. "While the gold jewellery consignment had reached the cargo complex, the register had no details of the one carrying the diamonds," the airport source said.##

There is a saying for people who work at the airports," The airport is a place where only aircraft's land and take of ,apart from that there many business which run from the airport apart from legeal business.......

This week has shown that the calm was just a breather, bomb blast in Ajmer and a fidayeen attack in Kashmir shows that how venerable we are and how easy it is for anyone to plan and execute...I hope people with power to change the system listen...as infiltration like this shows that we have a chinks in our armour......

VT on security

Low Cost Airlines- A Risk to the Aviation.....

2007-10-05T14:33:00.000+08:00

By Manju.V--TNN
Times of India.

Despite threat, airlines not spending enough on security

Your favourite airline may have gourmet fare on its menu. It may have the best check-in facilities, a well-appointed lounge, efficient cabin crew, good on-time performance and the best airfares the season can bring.

But, what no single airlines in India has is a reliable security network. Despite airlines being top terror targets and despite repeated warnings from Indian security agencies, airlines continue to cut costs on security bills with impunity.

What is amazing is that the amount spent on security comes to only about 0.75% to 1% of the total operating costs or about $70 (around Rs 2,900) a flight. This is the case with all airlines in India," a highly placed airline security official said. "But it does not make any sense to cut corners like this. The expenditure on security will go up to only $100 a flight (a little less than Rs 4100) if the minimum security measures recommended by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) are followed," he added.

Peeved by the airlines' lackadaisical handling of the matter, the BCAS called a meeting of aviation industries' top bosses in May this year and issued a circular stating that the recommendations should be "strictly implemented".

The circular, a copy of which is with TOI, says: "No action has been taken by (the) airlines to implement the committee's recommendations till date. It is, therefore, imperative that the following instructions are strictly implemented by (the) airlines with immediate effect.

That was in May. But nothing has changed despite the UK-terror expose and the numerous security threats to flying. None of the airlines is in a mood to spend that extra $ 25.

And, it's not about X-ray machines or passenger-frisking. The violations cover high-risk areas. Airlines, for instance, do not have even a single security personnel to guard the idle Boeings and Airbuses; they do not have any one posted in the area where check-in baggage is segregated for different destinations; pre-flight, anti-sabotage checks are hardly carried out in accordance with the details in the security manuals.

Time-saving measures adopted by the airlines mean they completely do away with a certificate of security that should be given to a commander when the aircraft is being handed over to him.

This certificate should be signed by the engineering department (it certifies that anti-sabotage measures have been carried out according to the inspection schedule); the catering department (it certifies that catering items have been checked and the crew received them without complaints); the ground support department (it certifies that
equipment attached to aircraft have been checked and only seal-ed/security cleared baggage has been loaded on board); the commercial department (it certifies that all baggage and cargo have been checked); and the security department (it certifies that all the above have been carried out).

"Only commanders of Air India, Indian Airlines get a certificate from the commercial department, accounting only for the security of baggage, passenger and cargo. The rest don't even get that," a BCAS official based in Delhi said.

The security recommendations were made in the R P Singh Committee's report dated June 2001.

The civil aviation ministry had constituted this committee to fix norms for deployment of airlines security staff.

Representatives from airlines like Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Air India were present on this committee.

The BCAS had called for the implementation of the committee's recommendations by September 2005 but nothing happened.

The recommendations are based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s guidelines, which means airlines in other countries like the United States and the United Kingdom follow them religiously.

VT
What ever said but it is difficult to believe that the Low Cost Airlines will follow what is told to them by the regulatory body.The top management for there own financial benefits risk the lives of thousand of passenger's every year.
VT

VT on security

Profiling a Strong Anti-Terror tool...

2007-10-01T22:56:00.000+08:00

To Profile or not to Profile is a big question for many airlines around the world, anti-profiling groups or civil liberties have gone one step further and tagged Profiling as Racial Profiling(targeted at particular race or religion).

Many people have said a lot about it, civil liberties groups have criticized it gone to courts and filed cases, as a practising profiler , i find it one of the best tool to stop terror however it has to be used with extreame care.

What exactly is profiling? ....

It can be defined as.....Profiling is a mix of interviewing techniques and close observation of selected targets body language which is used to identify and segregate him from the rest with out his knowing and to make sure if he/she are a threat or not to the aircraft and terminal building,in doing so the profiler has to keep in mind that every reaction of the targets body , facial reaction,verbal clue or any other movement of the body is the logical extension of the persons thought process …which will remain constant and carries hidden clues of his exact intetion......The main aim of profiling is to stop the terrorist's escalation towards its ultimate goal.

If we can stop a terrorist prior to his/her taking there seat in the aircraft, it would be a major step in preventing terror in the skies and would make our skies safe.

There are many different types of profiling techniques (most of these do not use machine to segregate passenger, CAPS) the above mentioned is just one of the many.

Profiling is the best way of stopping a threat right there and then it can be used before a passenger even enters the terminal building, it is a weapon if used properly can have very positive results it has the capacity to stop a threat before it goes out of hand. Proflier's are like code breakers who have to break the toughest code ,The human body.

The human body is a like a cryptogram, it is a walking talking one time code pad and the profiler has to break that code ,the human body is an antenna which is sending non- stop signals and the profiler has to decipher those signals to break in to them and come out with the results.

I had to write this as as i favor profiling and i know of its utilities and what it can do,many learned people have said that it should not be used as it targets people of a particular race and religion.I beg to differ here as i belong to the aviation industry and have seen how it works and how it is used, i can't say about people who are hell bent on misusing it, for them it is a short cut ,it like saying you belong to XYZ race or religion so you are a suspected terrorist, that's the easy way out with of the situation...

Airline security and airport security use profiling, it is an added weapon for them. Aviation Security Regulatory bodies world-wide have made profiling mandatory,it now depends how the airlines use it,some favor it some don't as it takes time and there flights get delayed.

Remember there are no short cuts in Aviation Security.

VT on security

Wordpress: My first brush ....not my last

2007-09-30T14:19:00.000+08:00

Wordpress and Back...

So i decided that i move from here and to go to Wordpress and maintain both blogs ,let me mention this that Wordpress is a highly evolved site and is not meant for mortals like me, it gave me a serious dose of complex.......my blogging life is not even a month old..but i wanted to move away from here....

On saying that, Wordpress a very well laid out site with every thing that a blogger would need..while going through the site i saw things which are not here ..and that impressed me, but the site is too complicated for me, folks at Wordpress may say...don't come here if you don't want to , we are happy as we are and we are the best...well you are in some ways... and in some ways you are not.

It took me four days of contemplation ,thinking should i do it or not.....should i go or not.... and then finally i went and i got my self an account...

I am no guru in software and i don't understand head or tail of codes,html, xhtml or xml ,but i want to write,in saying so i also want all the strappings of Wordpress in here...it was the complication which made me think that Blogger was good for the time being...

Reason for going to Wordpress...

Google is becoming like Microsoft a corporation with hands into every thing it reads you watches you..and that worries me...Wordpress is new and i read a lot about it..so i wanted to start blogging there...i did my research , read tons of comments from blogger's ....however i did not realize that it was going to be a tough nut for a person like me who just knows how to use a computer in the simple sense....

I have to evolve to go there ...i mean i have to grow a vee more big...i wish that all that is there ......was here also...

I am not going to criticize which one is good or bad, what i am looking or every one is looking at ease of use.....

I think Wordpress should have two sections for every one who joins.

New joiners to use ready made stuff with easy to addon's and delete what they want..same on the lines of Blogger.

For advanced users who know what they are doing and don't get lost in the maze.,should go one step further and use the current version at the worpress.com.

both should be kept free

I am using blogger with ease,I had to spend 10 min in understanding whats what and then i started...

In the end Wordpress is where i want to end up ...not now, but later till that time i will work on my evolving........and Blogger is a very good platform for people who want to start writing a Blog...

VT on security

Dummies Guide to IGI Delhi Airport India

2007-09-27T15:06:00.000+08:00

Dummies Guide to DELHI Airport

This is a Dummies guide to Airports in India.

Airports are cities in them self and people are can get lost in them, they are like 7 star hotels with every thing thrown in them, I can not say the same about airports in India. I am writing this for people who will come to India so that they have a knowledge of the airports before hand.

Most of the Indian airports are vintage the Delhi airport from where the Private airlines depart is a vintage WW-2 era airport , Delhi is getting a new airport and work is going on at a killing speed the government has asked a private consortium GMR-FRAPO to make this airport and it will be the best in Asia and far east, till then we all have to make do with what we have a patched up airport with basic amenities. The IGI domestic airport is divided in three parts.

Terminal -1-A Departure: All domestic flights of the Indian national carrier now known as INDIAN (earlier known as Indian Airlines) and Kingfisher Airlines fly from here, so remember when you book a flight by Indian or King Fisher then go to Terminal- 1A- IGI Domestic Airport.

This a relatively a well organized and a very small departure terminal , this building was build when the old terminal caught fire, it is small so , has got a small parking, it has a ATM inside (only one) and has coffee shops and a business class lounge inside.

Both Indian and King Fisher have ticket and information window’s before you enter inside the terminal. Immediately after entry you will see the X-RAY machines, show your ticket and get your baggage X-RAYD make sure you get it strapped and they put a security clear sticker on it.Then get your boarding card and head for the security hold area, once inside relax and enjoy (Alcohol is not served on any flight in India however you can have a drink at the (King Fisher lounge J )

Terminal-1 B Departure: This is the vintage WW-2 departure terminal where a lot of patch work has been done and if you are looking for some peace of mind forget it when you come here it is a battle and you have to win it, this terminal has all the private airlines departures like Jet airways, Jet Lite, Deccan airways, Spice jet, MDLR airlines and Go air and Indigo. Apart from Jet airways all are Low Cost Carriers, it is a royal mess on a day when flights are delayed or late or canceled due to fog, which is just at the corner.

This is the most crowded terminal, you will see long lines (during rush hours) to get inside and once inside then another line to get your baggage X-RAYED and then a line at the counter, it can drive you mad, so have an I-POD or a book to maintain your sanity or you will go mad.

The moment you get down from your cab look a little up and you will boards hanging from the top where you will see the names of the airlines and the gate numbers, so head for the gate show your passport and ticket and head for the airline controlled X-RAY , get your baggage strapped and make sure the security check sticker is put on your bag.

REMEMBER DO NOT KEEP ANY KIND OF CASH, JEWELRY, IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS or VALUABLES IN YOUR CHECKED BAGGAGE, in case of loss the airline don’t take any kind of responsibility for it.

Head for the counter and get your boarding card don't forget to get your hand baggage tags, now the problem starts the lines for security check are quite long and when you reach there make sure you take what ever you are carrying in your hand baggage and your cell phone on a tray to be x-rayed, then head for the frisking booth ( ladies are frisked separately) get your boarding card stamped and your hand baggage tag’s stamped by the A.P.S.U. (airport security unit) Remember you don’t have a stamp on your boarding card or hand baggage tag, you will not be allowed to board.

It is a very small security hold area so first grab some thing to eat and then grab a seat and wait for your boarding call.

Departing from Delhi’s terminal 1B can be an experience of a life time. Be at the airport 3 hours before the departure and be prepared to wait for delayed departures as winters are approaching “ fog station” will be declared in some time….

Before I close this beware of touts when you get down at terminal-1B, there is no charge for trolleys don’t let any one hold the trolley for you or take it till the gate... these guys are touts, look out any airline staff to guide you.

When you face the terminal building the Airport Managers office will be on your left just after the Nescafe coffee booth. (there will be a duty airport manager there, if you have a complain or are facing a problem they will help you out)

Any question then leave comments and I will reply back .…. Here's wishing you a happy landing….

Note:Please don't follow the dummies guide word by word, this is as real as it gets, as the airport is under construction,actual places may change and for that please don't hold me responsible.

VT on security

Security workers threaten more strike action

2007-09-26T00:13:00.000+08:00

Security is security it can be any where in the world.

September 21 2007
by A. Aisha Caleb-Browne
http://www.antiguasun.com

While airport security staff members returned reluctantly to their posts Wednesday after a short-lived strike, they and other airport personnel may still be prepping for more industrial action.

Wednesday’s action stemmed from a dispute between a female security officer and Chief of Airport Security Peter Abraham, which resulted in the subordinate being relieved of her duties amidst some controversy.

At the intervention of the Antigua Trades & Labour Union President, Wigley George, an apology was issued to the alleged victimised officer, and was reciprocated by the union on behalf of the accuser.

But there are apparent bigger issues at play, placing the officers on edge for sometime. They have silently agitated for an outstanding $135,000 in overtime wages, improved working conditions among other issues.

According to George, the employees have not been paid overtime wages dating back to April of this year and this was the main reason for their go slow. It was also revealed that similar action was to have been taken by the employees who had planned to disrupt the hosting of Cricket World Cup 2007 if they were not paid.

Their threat netted a portion of the payment.

Since then, no more monies have been forthcoming and the workers have expressed that they are fast running out of patience. George said, “Though I recognise the responsibility of the staff, especially security staff, to have the airport up and running, one cannot ignore the conditions under which they work. They have been ignored so many times and are treated like second class workers. The union wants to change this.”

Following the resumption of work Wednesday, a meeting was held between union representatives, members of the works committee, Aerodrome Superintendent Leon Smith, Chief of Airport Security Peter Abraham, Airport Operations Manager Edward Gilkes, and Neil Barnes, member of the Antigua Barbuda Airport Authority (ABAA) board.

It was only at this time that a discovery was made of inefficiencies at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, whereby documentation for the payment of overtime had been prepared months ago, but was held up by one of the departments within the said ministry, George told the SUN.

As a result, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Elaine Carter, who later attended the meeting in an attempt to avert a crisis, assured the union and the workers that matters would be dealt with immediately. “That was guaranteed to be paid out on or before Friday of next week. So it is now a wait and see situation at the airport in relation to what the workers may or may not do,” George said.

VT on security

Aviation Security and Stress Factor.......

2007-09-25T12:12:00.000+08:00

Aviation security officers /Screeners here and every where in world daily walk the plank in there minds, they are worried over one thing..

Have i missed some thing? the stress factor on one shift is so high that they have to maintain there sanity and that is not easy......first time Low Cost Airlines, passengers who don't understand why they have to stand in long lines to get there baggage screened, not understanding why some items from there bags have to be removed... to cut this pressure the the regulatory body had decided to give screener's a 20 min rotation ..one sits on the XRAY and other keeps a watch on the line ( he is supposed to do profiling of passengers). The 20 min rotation is a good thing ...

Stress kills and it kills fast ,Stress makes you commit mistakes ...there is no programme in the world for aviation security personal teaching them how to deal with pressure...

A security agent/officers life from the moment he comes on a shift is a fight with the system which is trying to subvert his main area of function....Multitasking is a cross function which is now being used by airlines and mostly in Low Cost Airlines, it saves money for the company to Hire/train security officers, they are supposed to work as customer service agents also, as when required they can be taken off security roster and put to customer service duties....this further puts pressure on security if the person taken is a certified screener...now the team loses one screener...to the system...and have to make do with what they have...A certified screener is qualified to carry on all security functions from A-Z.....

This further builds pressure on the team...which plods on with what they have....Multitasking should always be from Customer service to security..so that Customer Service which are the Prima Dona's of every airline understands what is security , which most of them even after knowing tend to ignore...or just don't wish to see,as it goes away from there basic brief.."send the aircraft on time"...

In one of my earlier posts i wrote that security has to be independent of every department if it has to carry out its brief...Security gets two briefs one from the regulatory body and one from the airline management.....the airline managements brief...is always "Look guys, be good and don't be a stickler for rules".....who to listen and who to ignore......

India 20-20 WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS.

2007-09-24T23:53:00.000+08:00

Indian Cricket goes down in history books and the first world cup champions of 20-20 cricket,they defeated Pakistan there arch rival.

It was an eruption of passion on the cricket field ,a young inexperienced captain and a young team who had very little experience but they played and Boy did they play!!

Smashing every team that came there way...and it was SWEET VICTORY at the end ...The World Cup in there hands...there is no looking back for this team now....

Its celebration time now...

Low Cost Airprots

2007-09-23T11:44:00.000+08:00

This article came in Times of India, so we have it here first it was the Low Cost Carriers(LCC) and now Low Cost Airports(LCA).

WHAT WILL BE NEXT LOW COST SECURITY????, Every carrier pays hefty Airports charges to the AAI for airport security, so with Low cost airports it is logical for them to pay less for the upkeep of every thing even security ,will airport security be compromised yes it will be with the prevaling business attitude of LCC , you never know every thing is possible here as LCC have in principle never believed in security procedures they believe these procedures hamper there on time performance and security is just an added burden which they have to bear.

Air Deccan to build low-cost airports
30 Jun 2007, 0417 hrs IST,TNN.

BANGALORE: After low-cost flying it’s now low-cost airports. Air Deccan has announced plans to partner with builders to bid for the construction of four low-cost airports in Karnataka. The Karnataka government had recently called for expressions of interest for setting up airports in Hassan, Shimoga, Gulbarga and Bidar.

But the airline did not disclose who they would be tying up with. The partnership with the builder would be based on an assurance from Air Deccan that the latter would ensure regular passenger traffic to these smaller towns.

Air Deccan executive chairman G R Gopinath said his vision is to build no-frills airports at a cost of Rs 20 crore each, compared to the over Rs 300 crore that regular airports cost.

This would mean the airports will not have aerodomes, aircraft push-back vehicles and buses to ferry people from the aircraft to terminal buildings.

Speaking on the sidelines of a press meet to announce a tie up with India Post to sell Air Deccan tickets through post offices, Gopinath said, “These airports will be equipped with all the necessary infrastructure. But the terminal buildings will be smaller and less opulent than airports in a metro. Also the runway will be built to accommodate turbo-propelled aircraft like ATRs.”

New and Emerging Threats...to Aviation

2007-09-20T23:59:00.000+08:00

I was thinking for some time to write about the "new and emerging threats" to civil aviation worldwide, we think if the current threats range from hijacking,attacks on the airports and a possibility of a bomb attack..well think think again....as time changed the terrorist has evolved with it and has refined his tactics, gone are the day's of the Red brigade,Red army...etc...today terrorist is highly educated (as you all are very well aware) highly motivated and has the capacity to out think his opponent.

There are two future threats for which we have to be prepared in the civil aviation sector.

Threats from Cargo and non commercial airlines ( the small aircraft's/cargo freighter's).
A threat which we can define as "Cyber warfare".

I am not going to be advocate here who will define what is good or bad,if you see i am also dependent on a technology which is driving most of this world. There must be more than a billion people connected to this invisible information highway and so is "HE".

The age of the "Key board warrior" has come and who else to feel the punch than the US govt, recently there systems were hacked by the Chinese army.

One of the greatest Masters of warfare who's book is used as a bible today for most of the armies of the world "Sun Tzu" said and i quote...

" Hit your enemy where it hurts him most and to win a war with dead bodies to count is not winning,but to win a war with out dead bodies is a true win"

so we come to this point again how will all this effect the civil aviation?

Did you all see Die Hard film? did you notice how the ATC was taken over , well that's not a far off thought in a time like this.

Most of the ticketing software works online (using the web) if some one wants an airline to stop working for a day he just needs to get in it and Voila that the end of every thing for that day NO FLIGHTs.

The regulatory bodies have to very seriously think how to safe guard the civil aviation against this unlawful threat. No pun intended but the ICONS of the regulatory body don't have the time for this.

In all my years in the Aviation Security i have learned that you have to be two steps ahead of the alleged terrorist however that man is 5 steps ahead of you and the living example of that was 9/11 who could have imagined that some one would use an aircraft as a missile.

too be continued.......

National Threat Advisory Bulletin .....

2007-09-20T00:07:00.000+08:00

I think the Aviation regulatory body should take a leaf out of the U.S Homeland Security and start a National Threat Advisory Bulletin on a day to day basis ,the air traveler and the general public has the right to know what are the threat levels in the country on a particular day, for that matter every citizen has the right to know.

We work in a system which has taught us " no one needs to know any thing if he is traveling by air then he should know better " keep the information to your self, some time i ...wonder "does he know what i know....... i can not do any thing ....I look at him and that's all...

Funny and amazing , nothing ever happens here for the positive after IC-814 and 9/11 the logical step should have been to start this bulletin but we did not,I think some one is waiting for some thing to happen...we have faced terrorism for the past 20 or more years and have lost approximately more than 40,000 people to it. We should be going ahead laying down standards to secure our skies... but the amazing part is that we are not at all bothered...

People get killed we don't learn from our past and from our mistakes, the system provides a knee jerk reaction to cover up for lost opportunities....or for its lack of initiatives..

The new threat is emerging now here is...as Nepalese govt and the Moist have parted way's , the influx of the Maoist carders in to India can not be ruled out...as the borders are open between both countries ....there has always been a threat to Indian aviation from the Maoist( Nepal) and other Indian groups...who have the same political bearing's .

A change has to come in the mind set of the Aviation security system here....other wise we may face problems....

Aviation (Airline) security here works with its one hand tied behind its back...pressurised by the airline management to take short cuts and the regulatory body standing on our heads...for a quid pro quo......

"Outsourcing Security..and other Departments."

2007-09-19T23:50:00.000+08:00

Thanks "Anonymous " for your reply its true no one is concerned or bothered about security S.O.P but when the **** hits the fan it is this department that standing and doing the work the rest are miles away standing with there hands folded saying "See , I told you so"...and that angers me...

As per the new rule by the regulatory body every person joining an airline which ever it may be has to go through a standard aviation security course and pass it also, let me tell you this happens but after the course they are least bothered to use what they have learned.

Lets put it this way disasters like 9/11 and IC-814 happened because some some where did not do his job and compromised security or took a short cut.

Outsourcing Security..and other Departments.

2007-09-19T14:05:00.000+08:00

In the not so recent past ,the full service airlines ruled the skies in India and there was no outsourcing of department functions,every body was on company payroll.

The most important fact is that security was never outsourced as a government policy every airline "Full service or LCC" had to have the security department on its pay role, they could out source the world but not Aviation Security, however with the emergence of LCC some departments have been outsourced like baggage handlers/cabin cleaning/ drivers.

If we talk of threats we have one sitting right here in front of us, outsourced workers at the airport, for an outsourcing company the airline is just a "business header" and nothing else the loyalty factor does not exist in there thinking and for the LCC it is a win win situation the less business heads they have on board the less the headaches they have, however in doing so they compromise on the basic tenant's of security.

There have been cases of contract workers walking away with baggage or stealing from the baggage it is easy for them to get hand in glove with an outsider who wants to cause some damage. A company employee will think twice before he takes the same step.

Government to take over airport jobs....

2007-09-19T11:22:00.000+08:00

September 17, 2007 By Dale Rodebaugh | Herald Staff Writer
http://durangoherald.com/

The federal Transportation Security Administration will take over the task of validating identification and boarding passes at Durango-La Plata County Airport beginning Oct. 1, the start of the federal fiscal year.

"We're rolling out our Travel Document Checkers at additional airports, including Durango, this fall," Carrie Harmon, regional public affairs manger for TSA in Denver, said Friday. "We'll be adding an additional 1,300 TSOs (transportation safety officers) in fiscal 2008."

TSA employees currently check luggage at Durango-La Plata County Airport. Document verification will be an extension of their work.

Animas Ground Services, which contracts with airlines to perform the document verification service in Durango, no longer will be used.

"Here we go again," Bruce Shisler, the owner of Animas Ground Services, said Sunday. "It's a taking without any compensation. I can't see it any other way."

In 2002, Shisler said, he let 168 employees go when TSA took over pre-boarding security in Aspen, Eagle, Gunnison, Amarillo, Tex., and Appleton, Wis., that his company was handling. He was left with Durango.

"Now, I lose nine part-time employees, including four senior citizens, a college student and two Vietnam veterans," Shisler said.

Shisler said he was told Monday a week ago that TSA would taker over document verification at Durango. The decision was reiterated in writing Thursday, he said.

Huntleigh Corp., another security-services provider, took the government to court because of jobs it lost to TSA, Shisler said. Lower-court decisions ruled in its favor but were overturned on appeal in March, he said.

"You have no chance against the government," Shisler said.

TSA already checks identification and travel documents at about 200 airports across the country, including JFK and Baltimore-Washington. Harmon didn't know how soon that would occur, but the switch will be done as quickly as possible.

"At airports where travel-document checking already is being done by TSA, the work is funded through efficiency gained elsewhere such as fewer on-the-job injuries," Harmon said. "The direction for TSA to move ahead with TDC at other airports is being funded by Congress."

TSA document checkers will take 190 hours of basic training, plus ongoing supplementary classes, Harmon said. Additionally, they will talk with passengers and observe behavior to spot passengers who could pose trouble.

Technorati Profile

Security Culture in India......

2007-09-17T23:05:00.000+08:00

Every AVSEC professorial would agree that threat to the civil aviation comes from the assumption that there is no room for improvement and every thing is right and hunky dory. If a loophole exists ,then someone, some where will find it and try and exploit it to its fullest, are we looking at the future threats? the most dangerous threat to the aviation sector is the new and emerging threat posed by the "Internet".The more connected we are the more venerable we become.

There is a culture in airlines and that is catching like fire "sending a flight on time is more IMPORTANT than ,sending a SECURE flight".

AVIATION SECURITY is a forgotten sector here in India, we confuse it with SAFETY if a flight is safe for most in the airline it means that the flight is also "SECURE",after IC-814 we have not faced any major disaster that does not mean that we put our guard down.

The best defense against any terrorist does not come in the form of new technology or developments in EVDs or x-ray scanners or the latest CCTV "it comes in the form of the human brain and investment in sharpening human brain to its best possible capacity and that is an investment worth taking". It is always the man behind the machine.

I am not saying that technology is not good but i believe the more you take in technology the more venerable you become,lets not keep our flanks unprotected. A human asset will always be more important than the technology.Technology will always be an helping hand to the human brain.

While saying that, the investment in technology is below the desired level here and need a boost immediately, the investment in human brain is at a ok level when it comes to Aviation security we have not been able to create a much desired security culture among the passengers which is most important.

Aviation Security department in every airline is considered to be a nuisance as it asks WHERE ,WHEN and HOW, as of today we don't have a generation of AVSEC officers (apart from the officers who retire from the AVSEC regulatory body)who can later be the bed rock of airlines of the future,people want to leave this trade as salaries are low there are no promotions,frustration among the staff.....

lets hope we are able to develop a security culture in India.

On time performance verses Security.......

2007-09-10T22:30:00.001+08:00

I have some questions for you all here....to ponder...think...

Has the LCC business model made skies safer?
Does outsourcing of airport services makes it easy for some one to penetrate the airport security system?
The desire to have turn around time between 25-30 minutes and the pressure for an on time performance (O.T.P) leaves many security procedures unfinished is it justified?

I have no stone to grind against LCC but i am against out sourcing certain services at the airport, as it becomes easy for some one to penetrate the system and reach at the inner ring of security...

Some body mentioned this to me "Aviation security has to be alert every time and it can not put its guard down ever, as a terrorist needs that one window of opportunity to do what he wants to"....... remember he is a very patient person...

I have a read a lot on AVSEC on the web and have found people writing how security at airports is a pain in the ***....

Security at airports is a no -compromise issue in today's world and in coming times it will get tougher...with new systems been developed for the new and emerging threats.......

I am waiting for the discussion to start...and a word of caution....

we will not get racial and insulting here...i am making it an open house for the moment .......

VT

Welcome to VT LOGS

2007-09-10T20:50:00.001+08:00

VT is a call sign (victor tango) , this blog is for AVSEC professionals and people who understand and take Aviation Security very seriously.

I invite AVSEC professionals from all over the world and air travelers to discuss issues relating to AVSEC, i want this to be a serous forum for discussion and exchange of views between AVSEC professionals.

I will start posting soon........