Archive · 1 Oct 2026
India Trials Refined Full-Body Scanners At Two Airports
India is testing machines that can check passengers for hidden objects.
The tests are taking place at Bengaluru and Cochin airports.
Officials are collecting information about how often the machines raise alarms.
They will use this information to improve the machines’ computer programs.
The scanners are being designed not to show real pictures of people.
Instead, they will show a simple outline and mark only a suspicious area.
Officials are also checking whether Indian ornaments or mangal sutras cause unnecessary alarms.
Eight airports have been told to use these scanners, but Cochin is not one of those eight.
The final decision will come after the trials and algorithm improvements.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is trialling full-body scanners at Bengaluru and Cochin airports.
Data on alarms and other trial results will guide decisions on deploying the scanners.
The scanners are being redesigned to show generic outlines rather than passenger images.
BCAS is refining algorithms to account for Indian clothing, ornaments and mangal sutras.
Full-body scanners have been mandated for eight airports, but Cochin is not among them.
- Who
- The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, led on this issue by Director General Rajesh Nirwan.
- What
- Trials are being conducted to refine full-body scanners and their detection algorithms before wider deployment.
- When
- The trials were discussed on Thursday; the articles do not provide a calendar date.
- Where
- Bengaluru and Cochin airports in India.
- Why
- To address passenger-privacy concerns, reduce unnecessary alarms and adapt the technology to conditions common in India.
Privacy And Local Adaptation
Security And Wider Deployment
Passenger privacy
Privacy And Local Adaptation
Privacy concerns about displaying images of passengers have delayed deployment, so the scanners are being redesigned to show only generic outlines and suspicious areas.
Security And Wider Deployment
Security authorities are testing the scanners as a way to identify suspicious objects and are gathering alarm data before making deployment decisions.
Algorithm design
Privacy And Local Adaptation
Algorithms must be adapted to Indian passengers and account for ornaments and mangal sutras to avoid unnecessary alarms.
Security And Wider Deployment
Existing technology is based on foreign-market algorithms, and continued testing and refinement are being used to make the systems effective in Indian airports.
- Agency
- Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)
- Trial locations
- Bengaluru and Cochin airports
- Mandate
- Full-body scanners have been mandated for eight airports
- Privacy design
- The scanners are being made image agnostic, showing a generic outline and highlighting suspicious areas
- Algorithm work
- BCAS is working with vendors and original equipment manufacturers to refine detection algorithms
- Local considerations
- Trials will examine alarms linked to ornaments and mangal sutras
- Airport count
- India now has 165 airports, according to the article