INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - AUGUST 2006
THE MONTH THAT WAS...

NEW DUTY-FREE SHOPPING NORMS FROM MIDNIGHT

HERE'S some relief for air passengers and duty-free shops which were facing a virtual ban on shopping at the airport due to security measures. Civil aviation secretary Ajay Prasad said on Tuesday that passengers can now purchase any item, including liquor, from duty free shops. However, these items shall not be handed over directly to the passenger at the duty-free outlet but will be kept in a ‘uniquely identifiable bag' and delivered while boarding the aircraft.

On purchase of an item, the duty free shop concerned will get a receipt incorporating name of the passenger, his seat number, and name of the airline being boarded. The owner and employees of the duty free shop will be responsible to get the goods bag checked from the airport security staff, and to have these delivered to the concerned passenger at the gate of the aircraft.

This new duty-free shopping norm will come into effect from Wednesday midnight . A circular to this effect has been issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to all airports on Tuesday. Soon after the London incident which caused a major scare among airlines and airport managements, security concerns had led to banning of all liquids in hand baggaged. This meant that passengers could not buy liquor or any other liquid item –– including gels –– at duty-free outlets. As a result, sales at these outlets suffered significantly.

Duty-free outlet ownera shall have to ensure that security-cleared employees are kept on their rolls for delivering the sold items to passengers at the aircraft gate, Mr Prasad said while briefing mediapersons here. These shops shall not be allowed to sell dangerous goods such as knife and scissors, he added.

Duty-free shops have been loosing about Rs 10 lakh per day as the government has prohibited passengers from carrying goods including liquid products. But now passengers shall be allowed to carry goods bought ‘only' from these shops located at airports. However, all the earlier restriction such as prohibition to carry handbags and liquid products brought by passengers from outside will remain the same.

The civil aviation ministry is also planning to introduce Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) for passengers coming into India , but not for those departing out of India . APIS has already been introduced as a pilot project at Indira Gandhi International airport on 31st July.