Electronic emergency exit doors installed at city airport

In a bid to enhance passenger safety at Chennai airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has changed nearly 140 emergency exit doors in the T1 and T4 domestic terminals, equipping them with electronic security and monitoring systems.

The move comes after the airport fire safety audit flagged concerns about the emergency exit doors bearing a chain and a lock, and on how passengers would escape in case of an exigency.

Airport sources said the access control to these doors would be given to fire safety personnel and to the Security Operations Control Centre (SOCC) manned by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) from where they monitor the terminals through CCTV.

“In case of an emergency like fire, the access doors can be opened by either the CISF personnel or the fire team. Only a handful of authorised personnel will have access control to open the doors.If anyone accidently pushes these doors, then an alarm will be triggered and can be seen from the SOCC,” a source said.

Sources said they floated bids and the work was awarded to a firm last August. The work began nearly four months ago and would be completed shortly.

“Private airports are far ahead in terms of security. We desperately need this kind of an enhanced safety. If there is fire, we need not be running around trying to locate the keys for these locks and then open them instead of trying out put out the fire. These doors are fitted with sensors, and a siren will be sounded at SOCC if someone tries to enter or exit through this door. We will be able to watch it from the SOCC through the CCTV cameras,” another source said.

The T2 international terminal was already fitted with electronic emergency exit doors during its opening.