BCAS wants first, business class passengers should be clubbed with economy class travellers
Business and first class passengers should no longer expect a pampered treatment at airports.
A circular by aviation safety regulator Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has put a stop to this practice, but airports have not implemented it yet.
The BCAS logic is that if everyone pays the same security charges, why should there be a special treatment to a select few.
Airlines, too, have their logic. Industry experts say business and first class passengers are a pampered lot world-wide, as they bring in significant revenue.
Airlines are also against the BCAS diktat as it goes against their commercial interest.
National carrier Air India is planning to take up the matter with BCAS and the civil aviation ministry. Other airlines are expected to also follow the suit.
The BCAS circular said the guideline will be applicable to VIPs, business class/first class and commercially important persons (CIPs).
However, sick, disabled and senior citizens will continue to have separate queues.
Industry sources say even civil aviation ministry officials are not happy with the development, as they believe that it will hamper the growth of business and leisure travellers.
Airlines claim that business and first class passengers are important from the commercial point of view as they opt to choose extra fares for getting the convenience of not having to stand in long queue.
"If the convenience of separate queue is taken away from such passengers, then, definitely, business is bound to get affected," said an executive from a full-service carrier.
In another development, the immigration department at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) have recently started clubbing business/first class passengers with economy class passengers.
Though immigration department authorities were not available for comment, airport sources said it happened because officials posted for handling first class/business passengers and VIPs recently refused to handle other passengers, even after they were free.
Business and first class passengers are few as compared to economy passengers in a flight. As a result, officials decided to convert all counters for all class of passengers.
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