Kolkata: The international wing of Kolkata airport has switched back to the old system of manually retrieving trays and carrying them back to the table before the conveyer belt that takes cabin luggage through the X-Ray machine. This replaces the advanced automatic tray retrieval system (ATRS)in use here for the past two years.
The ATRS ensured automatic retrieval of baggage trays once the bags were collected by passengers after they had been scanned.This ensured a steady supply of trays at the start of security check, avoiding delays and temporary disruptions that happened during change of shift.
After a successful run at the domestic wing since 2020, two channels of the international wing were fitted with ATRS in 2022 to mark the onset of scheduled international flights at the airport that had fastened the security check process by significantly cutting down manual intervention and automatic segregation of baggage and trays carrying suspected items.
However, due to slow growth in the international sector that barely has 25 departures and a footfall of around 3,600 persons on an average at present, the authorities have decided to shift the two machines to the domestic security check where almost all bays are currently operating with ATRS.
Airport sources said there was an instruction from Airports Authority of India to shift the two ATRS machines from international to the domestic wing to handle the pressure of passengers at the domestic sector when the international wing has been rather lean in terms of passenger count.
“The two machines have been shifted from the international sector to the domestic wing and are already functional. We have added seven X-Ray machines in the international wing to take the count to eight to reduce queues,” said a senior Kolkata airport official.
Sources said restrictions on Chinese firms could have led to the decision as the ATRS is supplied by a Chinese company.
The airlines that operate in the international sector though felt the shift from the ATRS to manual retrieval of trays is a let-down.