Air passengers urged to avoid prohibited items being carried in check-in baggage

In continued endeavour to prioritise the safety, security and well-being of passengers, the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is further strengthening its efforts to minimize prohibited items being carried in check-in baggage at the airport.

Prohibited items ranging from e-cigarettes, lighters, pesticides to copra are included in check-in baggage by passengers. The In-line remote baggage screening facility at the Airport enables the security staff to easily identify such restricted items in the baggage. Once identified, the security restricted item has to be removed from the baggage and disposed of in accordance with extant regulations. The process involved is cumbersome and can cause inconvenience to passenger and in some cases, this often leads to flight delays, said a release issued by the airport authorities here on Wednesday.

With stringent and 24X7 vigilant security protocols, the Security Restricted Articles were identified in 1,012 bags at the International Terminal in April alone. It rose to 1,201 in May. Banned items were removed from 1,135 bags in June. On an average, more than 30 bags are checked per day. Certain items including batteries and power banks are allowed to be carried by Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) as cabin baggage. But few items are completely banned, including e-cigarettes, said the release.