69 more CISF personnel to handle winter rush at airport
Times of India | 21 November 2025
Kolkata: With the peak winter travel rush underway, security at Kolkata airport was bolstered with the induction of 69 additional CISF personnel this week, raising the total deployment to 2,102 officers. Sources said another 100 CISF personnel are expected to join in the coming months.
According to a senior CISF officer, the airport was operating with a shortfall of about 600 personnel until Jan. Since then, 500 officers — including 70 women — were added. Before the pandemic, Kolkata airport had 1,334 CISF personnel.
Officials said the newly inducted personnel will be assigned to the fourth security portal, which will run full-time through the winter rush to handle increased passenger loads. "A new security hold area in the international terminal is also set to become operational. The next batch of 100 personnel will be deployed there," a CISF officer said.
The induction is part of a nationwide recruitment drive that brought 11,729 new personnel into CISF, increasing the force's overall strength by 8%.