Calcutta airport has always denied international business-class passengers the privilege of separate queues for security check, though not because of a civil aviation ministry directive like the one that has forced Delhi airport to discontinue the system.

Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific (Dragonair) and several other international airlines had recently written to the airport management, seeking permission to have separate queues for business-class passengers at the frisking booths, airport sources said. The authorities turned down the request by citing "shortage of security personnel".

"We have been receiving complaints from business-class passengers about having to stand in long queues for frisking despite paying a premium for their tickets. That is why all international airlines with business-class seats jointly requested the authorities for fast-track frisking counters," an airline official said.

The airport has separate business-class queues for domestic security check even though most domestic flights don't have premium seats. The facility was introduced a few months ago.

"If they could start the facility for domestic flights, it should be there for international passengers too. After all, they pay an even bigger premium than those flying business class within the country," an official of an international airline said.

Delhi airport no longer has this facility for first-class and business-class passengers because of heightened security.

Business-class queues were discontinued at T3 in Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport this week in adherence to a circular issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security in late February. The directive wasn't sent to other airports in the country. Mumbai airport continues to have a fast-track counter for security check, an official said.

Calcutta has about 200 business class seats daily and 60 per cent of these are occupied on an average. Airlines like Emirates report 100 per cent occupancy in business class on some days.

Airport sources said the Central Industrial Security Force would need about 16 people to operate two business-class frisking booths, one each for men and women.

Two security personnel usually man a frisking booth and they work in six-hour shifts.

Since the city has far fewer business-class passengers compared to the other metros, a little effort to make them comfortable would ensure even they don't disappear, airline officials said. A business-class passenger pays three to four times the economy fare in any international sector.

"In the old terminal, we didn't have enough space for separate queues. But the new terminal has ample space and the authorities should have started separate frisking booths for international business-class passengers by now," an airline official said.

Judhajit Basu, who lives in London, said he was surprised when he had to stand in a long queue for security check in Calcutta despite having a business-class ticket. "Heathrow has a fast-track counter. But in Calcutta, there is no such system. I had expected this service at the new terminal," Basu said from London.

The security check-in area in the international section has a lone frisking counter for women and two for men. "We had asked the CISF to start separate queues but they don't have the manpower to manage these," an airport official said.