Private domestic airlines will not be allowed to handle passenger baggage at Calcutta and five other airports from January 1.

The civil aviation ministry has decided on the move to reduce congestion in the baggage handling areas and safety risks.

“Instead of individual private airlines handling baggage, the Airports Authority of India will assign the task to an agency,” an airport official said.

The five other airports where the system will be implemented are in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Apart from the dedicated agency, national carrier Air India will be allowed to handle baggage in the domestic and international terminals.

“But the airline will be barred from outsourcing the job to private agencies, as it does now,” the official pointed out.

In the present system, baggage handling is done by the national carrier, companies authorised by the airport operators and private airlines.

The civil aviation ministry has decided that from next year, the service will be provided by the airport authorities or any of their joint venture firms, subsidiary companies of the national carrier or any of its joint venture firms or any ground handling agency selected through a bidding.

An official of the Airports Authority of India said the bidding process was on. Eleven international consortiums have been shortlisted for the final selection. Each bidder must have an annual turnover of at least Rs 300 crore and five years’ experience in baggage handling.

Calcutta airport sources said more than 2,000 people work in the baggage handling area, hired by private airlines and outsourced agencies.

“Some airlines operate a single flight a day but engage around 40 handlers,” an official said. This results in congestion and since most of the handlers are not properly trained, the bags often get damaged or items misplaced.