India's aviation security regulator is working to adapt full body scanners to Indian passengers, including refining algorithms so that commonly worn ornaments such as mangal sutras do not unnecessarily trigger alarms, as it prepares for the technology's eventual deployment at airports.
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) Director General Rajesh Nirwan said on Thursday that trials were underway at Bengaluru and Cochin airports and the agency was collecting data on the scanners' performance, including the number and nature of alarms generated. The results will be assessed before the algorithms are refined and decisions taken on their wider introduction.
Eight airports identified
Nirwan said full body scanners had been mandated for eight airports, though details of the airports were not immediately available. Cochin, where the technology is currently being tested, is not among the eight airports covered by the mandate.
The trials at Bengaluru and Cochin are intended to provide BCAS with real-world information on how the systems perform in Indian conditions. Among the key parameters being examined is the frequency of alarms and the circumstances in which they are generated.
The findings will help authorities determine whether the scanners can distinguish effectively between potential security threats and harmless objects commonly carried or worn by passengers.
Full body scanners have been under consideration for Indian airports for several years, but their introduction has faced technological and operational challenges as well as questions over passenger privacy.
Algorithms designed for foreign markets
A key issue identified during the trials is that the algorithms currently available with the scanners were developed primarily for overseas markets and may not always account for items routinely worn by passengers in India.
BCAS is therefore working with vendors and original equipment manufacturers to improve the software and reduce unnecessary alerts.
"What we are getting today in India is based on algorithms that have been designed for foreign markets. There are certain typical things that are on the body of Indian citizens or people living in India. So, those algorithms are also being continuously refined," Nirwan said.
The concern assumes significance because jewellery and culturally specific ornaments, including mangal sutras, could potentially be interpreted by a scanner as an object requiring additional screening.
A high number of false alarms would defeat one of the purposes of introducing the technology by requiring security personnel to conduct additional physical checks and potentially slowing passenger movement through security.
Trial data to guide changes
BCAS is collecting detailed information from the two airports to understand which objects trigger alarms and how frequently such alerts occur. This data will then be used to improve the algorithms in coordination with scanner manufacturers.
Nirwan said the trials would provide the information required to make the technology better suited to Indian conditions.
The approach indicates that BCAS does not intend to simply deploy existing scanner systems without first examining how they perform across India's diverse passenger profile.
For airport security authorities, the challenge is to ensure that the scanners remain sensitive enough to detect prohibited objects without producing excessive alerts for everyday items.
Privacy concerns addressed
Passenger privacy has been another major issue surrounding the introduction of full body scanners. Earlier generations of the technology generated detailed images of a passenger's body, prompting concerns internationally over privacy and dignity.
Nirwan said this aspect of the technology had now been addressed by making the scanners "image agnostic".
Instead of producing a realistic image of the person being screened, the system will display a generic representation of the human body. If the scanner detects a suspicious object, the screen will indicate only the particular area where the object has been detected.
The security officer will therefore be able to identify where additional screening is required without viewing a detailed image of the passenger's body.
The change is intended to strike a balance between stronger security screening and passenger privacy.
Faster screening in focus
Full body scanners are designed to identify objects concealed beneath clothing without requiring every passenger to undergo a physical pat-down. The technology could potentially make security checks more efficient, particularly at airports handling large passenger volumes.
Passengers are generally required to stand inside the scanner briefly while the equipment examines the body for objects that may require further inspection. Any detected anomaly can then be checked separately by security personnel.
For India, however, the effectiveness of the technology will depend partly on its ability to recognise the wide range of jewellery, clothing and accessories worn by passengers without generating repeated false alarms.
BCAS's emphasis on refining algorithms suggests that operational efficiency will be an important consideration before a larger rollout.
Rollout after assessment
The ongoing trials do not mean that scanners will immediately replace existing security procedures across Indian airports. BCAS will first analyse the results, work with manufacturers on algorithm changes and assess the effectiveness of the revised technology.
Only after this process will authorities move towards deployment at the airports where the scanners have been mandated.
The exercise comes as India's aviation network continues to expand rapidly. The country now has 165 airports, while growing passenger traffic has increased pressure on terminals and security infrastructure.
For BCAS, the challenge will be to introduce technology that can strengthen security without creating longer queues or intrusive screening. The Bengaluru and Cochin trials will therefore determine not merely whether full body scanners work, but whether they can be adapted effectively to the specific requirements of Indian airports and passengers.