Now, India bans liquids, gel on board planes

Amid hightened threat perception, the government today announced increased security measures for air travellers.

Travellers would be allowed to carry only one piece of hand baggage, including laptops, and no liquid or gel would be allowed in the hand baggage.

"Besides being X-rayed, the hand baggage will also be manually checked," Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad said.

Any liquid medicine or inhaler carried by passengers would be allowed on board aircraft only after the presentation of proper medical prescriptions, Prasad said. Passengers travelling to the US and the UK would have to follow the advisories issued by the respective aviation authorities, he added.

International travellers would have to report three hours before take-off and airline counters would be closed 30 minutes before the take-off time.

For domestic travel, passengers would have to report 90 minutes before the take off time and airlines would have to close the check-in counters half an hour before take.

Prasad also said both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security have issued guidelines to airlines on these measures.

The government has also asked private companies like the GMR group and the GVK group, which are managing the Delhi and Mumbai airports, to take additional steps to ensure ease of travel and to follow these instructions.

The government is also planing to deploy additional sky marshals in more routes as well as deploy more para-military personnel at airports as a precautionary measure.

Following the Director General of Civil Aviation notification, Jet Airways has advised its domestic passengers to carry only one piece of hand baggage, including a laptop of prescribed maximum permissible dimensions. It has said hand baggage will be examined at the check-in counter as well as at the ladder point by the airline security staff.

The airline has said its check-in counters at all airports will be closed 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of domestic flights and has advised passengers to report at least 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled flight.

The airline has said no hand baggage will be allowed on international flights and personal items, like prescribed medicines, will be permitted in a transparent plastic bag.

Passengers have been advised to report at least three hours in advance before the scheduled flights. Its check-in counters will be closed 45 minutes before take-off.