Pune: Lohegaon airport is likely to get full-body scanners, with the civil aviation ministry considering the facility for the second phase of a rollout that has already been delayed by several years.The ministry has approved the installation of the machines at eight airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. Civil aviation MoS Murlidhar Mohol said Pune was also being considered. “We are reviewing the plan for Pune airport and these scanners are expected to be a part of the facility in a later phase,” Pune MP Mohol told TOI.The renewed focus on full-body scanners comes amid heightened security concerns following the recent FlyDubai incident, in which a pilot suffered injuries in a bid to foil an alleged hijacking attempt by his co-pilot.Pune became the first airport in India to conduct a three-month trial of full-body scanners in 2019. “The pandemic brought the project to a halt. The machine used during the trial generated an X-ray-type image of the passenger, which also raised concerns about privacy,” a source at the airport said.The proposal to introduce such scanners at major airports has been under consideration since 2015. The pandemic and privacy concerns among passengers delayed the rollout. The technology has since been modified — instead of an actual image of the passenger, newer systems are expected to generate a 3D silhouette highlighting any suspicious objects, sources said.There was talk of introducing the scanners here in 2023. According to sources, the airport could eventually get five machines. Passengers are also expected to have the option of going through conventional security checks.Flyers remained cautious. “The airport authorities need to make it very clear what kind of image these machines will project when a person stands in front of them. It may take time for such a system to become comfortable for Indian passengers,” said businessman Anant Mankad.
