BCAS Bans Airport Entry Passes Following Air India Threat

BCAS : The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the regulatory authority for civil aviation in India, has issued a significant security alert following a video threat against Air India flights.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of Sikhs for Justice (SJF), released a menacing video warning of a potential attack on the day of the ICC World Cup final, scheduled for November 19.

BCAS – Airport

The BCAS swiftly responded by instructing airport operators in Delhi and Punjab to cease the issuance of airport entry passes to visitors. The BCAS order, issued on Monday evening, explicitly stated, “Issue of TAEPs (temporary airport entry pass) for entry of visitors to the terminal building of the IGI (Indira Gandhi International) airport (in Delhi) and sale of visitors entry tickets will be banned.”Delhi airport officials have promptly implemented this order. An official stated, “We have implemented the order, and all AEPs except for those involved in operational work will remain suspended until November 30.”

The BCAS cited the continuous threat messages shared by central agencies as the basis for this precautionary measure. These threats extended to civil aviation installations at airports, airstrips, airfields, air force stations, helipads, flying schools, and aviation training schools across India.

As part of the security measures, the BCAS mandated a secondary ladder point check (SLPC) for all Air India flights at 161 airports, including those in Punjab.

SLPC is a rigorous protocol initiated under BCAS instructions, wherein airline staff members are required to conduct thorough frisking of passengers and their hand luggage immediately before boarding the aircraft, following the security clearance from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

In addition to these domestic actions, the BCAS has also communicated the order to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for further coordination and enforcement.

Furthermore, India has reached out to Canada, urging an escalation of security measures for Air India flights following the threat from the pro-Khalistani group. The Indian government has also called upon Canada to take action against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for issuing this alarming threat.

The video message from Pannun, which surfaced on November 4, contained a chilling warning, “We are asking all Sikhs to avoid boarding Air India flights on November 19.

On that day, there will be a global blockade, and Air India will not be allowed to fly anywhere across the world. Sikhs, you do not travel by Air India after November 19. It can be life-threatening. This is my warning to the government of India.”

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