Up to 802-day wait for security clearances: Private airport operators seek urgent reforms

New Delhi: Private airport operators in India have flagged significant delays in security clearances from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), warning that the prolonged processing times are affecting project implementation, operational efficiency, and passenger convenience. In a letter to Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha, the Association of Private Airport Operators (APAO), representing 14 PPP airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, highlighted instances where approvals took over two years.

The longest delay recorded was 802 days for a central kitchen at Bengaluru's Terminal 2. Other examples include 664 days for a new casualty centre at Mumbai's T1, 635 days for interim floor plan vetting at Kochi's T1, 578 days for an alternate isolation bay location at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), 448 days for converting IGIA's T3 Pier C from domestic to international, and 340 days for the terminal building plan (Phase I) of Navi Mumbai Airport. The fastest clearance, at seven days, was for strengthening a perimeter wall at IGIA.

APAO Secretary-General Satyan Nayar stated in the letter that "considerable time being taken in processing security vetting approvals" is hampering timely capacity enhancements, passenger facilitation, operational optimization, and security infrastructure projects. He urged the ministry to establish "turnaround timelines for different proposal categories" to expedite processing, especially for proposals critical to operational continuity and passenger service.

A former senior BCAS official acknowledged that both operators and the authority share responsibility for delays. "Bigger proposals must be examined from a security perspective, and clarifications are often slow from operators. Additionally, excessive commercialization in new terminals often sidelines security considerations. Background checks involving foreign partners also take longer due to inter-agency coordination," the official said. However, he noted that BCAS could improve clearance times for smaller proposals, such as shops, and pointed to an e-portal where applicants can track progress and respond to queries.

Comments from the aviation ministry were awaited at the time of filing. The APAO's members include the Adani Group, GMR, and other private players, operating airports in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Delhi, Goa (Mopa), Hyderabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mumbai (CSMIA), Navi Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Greater Noida. The operators have requested the ministry to intervene to ensure timely approvals for projects essential for India's growing air traffic.