Airports to go all digital with biometric ID system, e-training modules

Covering 43 airports of AAI and 5 joint venture airports at present, the CACS project is aimed at digitising employee movement process at the airports. 

This multi-layered security system encompasses the uniqueness of the Airport Entry Permit (AEP) users, biometric authentication in addition to PIN-based identity verification through contactless smart card technology, which manages access of personnel along with RFID-based automated vehicle access control system according to the region, terminal, zone, and gate access privileges. 

The cost of the card is Rs225, which shall be valid for three years. Biometric ID (Biometric enabled Centralised Access Control System having chip embedded smart AEPs) thus issued, is non-duplicable.

The project, set up under an MoU signed between ECIL and BCAS on 17 December 2015, involves an overall investment of Rs34.92 crore. The project aims to digitise the existing mechanism at the airports and reduce human intervention systematically. Airports Authority of India successfully conducted SAT (Site Acceptance Test) at various airport, ie, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata recently.

“CACS project shall facilitate the ease of processing, enhanced security and prevent unauthorized entry into airport, alert authorities to an attempted intrusion or other irregularities for immediate response; overall not only leading to ease of doing business, but also an enhanced security system,” Hardeep Singh Puri said. CACS project is bound to assist around 2 lakh employees of various stakeholders who move in and out of the airport on a daily basis, he added.

Puri also launched the ‘e-BCAS Project: Training Module’ aimed at helping more than 1.5 lakh employees of various stakeholders by migrating from manual process of training to digital platform. The objective of the e-BCAS project is to make all the activities in the BCAS transparent, user-friendly, and efficient and above all, the project intends to provide an ease of doing business with the stakeholders.

All 29 Aviation Security Training Institutes (ASTIs) have been registered as user entities and now they can make nominations for various courses online. Moreover, the system will also allow its users to check the approvals by BCAS, declaration of results and QR coded online certificate generation will also be done through this project only. This would result in making the entire training ecosystem of BCAS transparent as well as efficient.

The ‘e-BCAS’ project. with an estimated cost of Rs21.69 crore, aims at a “paperless office” under e-Governance initiative to facilitate access to external stakeholders by digital automation of all internal office procedures. The project was approved by the ministry of civil aviation in 2016. The e-BCAS project included training module, quality control and operational module and administration etc. After modifications, the current training module part has been completed at an estimated cost of around Rs30 lakh. In due course, with the integration of all three modules into the platform of e-BCAS, the processing time in giving clearances and approvals will be reduced considerably. These steps will ease the process of training, audit/inspections, enhance the throughput as well as a lot of time, energy and precious man hours of all stakeholders, the release added.

Under phase-1 of the e-governance, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also on Monday launched Phase-1 services of e-GCA.  Project e-GCA aims to provide speedy service delivery in a secure environment. The services were launched on the new DGCA website (www.dgca.gov.in).

With this, the issue of commercial pilot licence (CPL-A) with flight radio telephony operators license (FRTOL) and instrument rating has been automated. The applicants would now be able to fill up their flying details through DGCA portal, after getting themselves registered. Subsequently, after getting the flying details verified by the chief flight instructors / Dy chief flight instructors, the applicants would be able to submit their applications for issuance of CPL-A online to DGCA. The DGCA would, after scrutiny of the application, issue licence in plastic card form with QR code having all the necessary details.

Rolling out the CPL-A in automated form would help in expediting the process of issue of these licenses and would do away with manual handling and processing of applications. With this roll out almost seven hundred aspirant pilots would be benefited every year.

Besides issue of CPL-A, issue of Class 1 renewal medical assessment to the aspirant pilots has also commenced though eGCA. This will facilitate timely issue of Medical Assessment Certificate to the aspirant pilots.  

In subsequent phases, other services of DGCA will also be automated. The eGCA project is being implemented with TCS as service provider and PWC as project management consultant. The project has been conceptualized for automation of the processes and functions of DGCA. The project will provide a strong base for IT infrastructure and service delivery framework. The project envisages an end-to-end solution including various software applications, connectivity with all the regional offices, a ‘portal’ for dissemination of information and for providing online and speedy service delivery in a secure environment. The project would enhance the efficiency of the various services provided by the DGCA and would ensure transparency and accountability in all DGCA functions. The eGCA project is expected to be completed by the end of year 2020.

Under e-GCA, issue of commercial pilot license will now automated, which will benefit more than 700 aspirant pilots every year.