Summary
- Delhi Airport’s security was breached recently when a man scaled its perimeter wall.
- The incident took place on January 27, a day after Republic Day.
- The man in question was said to be intoxicated.
Some of the most protected and guarded spaces in any country are its airports. But, a recent incident in Delhi proves that one can’t be too careful when it comes to airport security. The city’s airport recently saw a man wandering about close to moving aircraft before being apprehended by authorities.
Man enters Delhi Airport’s airside
In a major security breach, a man gained unauthorized access at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). Delhi Airport is the country’s busiest airport, with constant aircraft movement. As such, a man casually walking close to the runway and taxiways is a major security lapse.
Photo: Media_works | Shutterstock
The airport is secured with a high perimeter wall, but clearly that wasn’t a deterrent for the intruder who somehow managed to scale the wall and enter the runway. While an incident like this at any airport is a cause of concern, the fact that it took place in India’s capital city on January 27 – just a day after Republic Day – also makes this equally worrying.
Spotted by an Air India pilot
The incident took place late at night, which is probably why the incident went unnoticed for some time. The man was first spotted by the pilots of an Air India flight that had just landed. According to airport officials, the pilots spotted the intruder at around 11:30 pm when they saw him in front of the aircraft while taxing. ANI quotes an official as saying,
“An Air India pilot reported to air traffic controllers (ATC) that a man had crossed in front of the aircraft during taxing. ATC promptly alerted the Airport Operation Control Centre (AOCC), leading to swift action by CISF, who apprehended the intruder and handed it over to local police.”
Photo: Nicolas Economou | Shutterstock
The man was said to be intoxicated and possibly under the influence of drugs. He was produced in a court and sent for judicial custody. According to sources, the authorities have treated this incident “with utmost seriousness, categorizing it as a massive security breach and taking extensive measures to address the matter.”
Fog continues to affect operations
Meanwhile, foggy conditions are not letting up at DEL, with intermittent respite in a month that has seen significant flight disruptions. Things became tricky right from December, and the airport has issued multiple advisories since then regarding fog-induced delays.
The fog returned on Monday, affecting several flights, including international services from Riyadh, Bangkok, Frankfurt, and Copenhagen. Dense fog engulfs much of North India at this time of the year, but Delhi Airport is often the most affected, given its scale of operations.
Photo: AbhishekMittal | Shutterstock
In the past few weeks, several instances of passenger unrest have surfaced due to fog-related delays and diversions. A man physically assaulted an IndiGo pilot recently when his Delhi-Goa flight was delayed. In a separate incident, passengers refused to leave the tarmac and sat beside their IndiGo plane when their Goa-Delhi flight was diverted to Mumbai.
What are your views on this? Please leave a comment below.
-
Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- DEL/VIDP
- Country:
- India
- CEO:
- Videh Kumar Jaipuriar
- Passenger Count :
- 28,500,545 (2020)
- Runways :
- 09/27 – 2,813m (9,229ft) |10/28 – 3,810m (12,500ft) |11R/29L – 4,430m (14,534ft) |11L/29R – 4,400m (14,436ft)
- Terminals:
- Terminal 1 |Terminal 2 |Terminal 3
