Indian airport police told to cut down on smiling Published duration 9 October 2018

image copyright AFP image caption Indian authorities fear excessive friendliness could lead to attacks amid "lax security".

Airport police in India are being instructed to smile less.

This is over concerns cheerfulness could lead to a perception of lax security and a threat of terror attacks.

The country's Central Industrial Security Force, which is in charge of aviation safety, wants its staff to be "more vigilant than friendly".

They will move from a "broad smile system" to a "sufficient smile system", the Indian Express says.

Officials are said to believe that excessive friendliness puts airports at risk of terrorist attacks.

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The organisation's director general, Rajesh Ranjan even said the 9/11 attacks had taken place because of "an excessive reliance on passenger-friendly features".