Bhubaneswar : Following directions from the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), security at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in the city has been beefed in view of a hijack threat received by the Mumbai Air India control centre.
In a note, the BCAS stated that a telephonic message was received by the station duty officer of Air India’s airport control centre at Mumbai about a threat to hijack a flight to Pakistan
Speaking to the media, BPIA Director Suresh Chandra Hota said, “Following BCAS’s list of do’s and don’ts, security in all sensitive areas at the airport as the perimeter, access, terminals, parking bays and runway have been tightened.”
While the BCAS has also asked the security personnel to enhance patrolling through quick reaction vehicles and dog squads, explosive trace devices have also been deployed at various places, including the car parking lots at the BPIA.
The BPIA, which is now of the busiest airports of the country, is closely being monitored with 132 CCTV cameras deployed in its vicinity. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which had already tightened security at airports post Pulwama attack, will oversee the security enhancement at the airport.
Meanwhile, no restriction on the visitors’ entry has been reported at the airport.
