Soon at airport, hi-tech machine to trace explosive residue

Mumbai: Come November, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) will have a state-of-the-art Explosive Trace Detection System (ETDS)—roughly the size of a common laser printer—at both its terminals.
Costing several thousand dollars, the ETDS can detect minute traces of explosive residue, which may have been transferred to baggage surfaces through direct or indirect contact.
In the wake of the 7/11 serial blasts, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security had issued a circular on July 13 saying every airport operator in the country should procure ETDS equipment.
Following this, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL)—the joint venture company in charge of modernising and upgrading CSIA— has been in negotiations with various vendors for over a month now.
General Electric (GE) has been finalised, a top MIAL official said. And negotiations are on to purchase GE’s Itemiser and VaporTracer .
13/08/06 Lekha Agarwal/Mumbai Newsline

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