Security Tightened at Indian Airports After 3 Italians Fly Out Without Immigration Check
Three Italians reached Munich without completing India’s immigration process
New Delhi: Airports across India have increased security checks of the international transfer passengers after three Italians recently managed to board a Delhi-Munich flight without immigration clearance.
The lapse took place on September 4 at the Amritsar airport, which is part of the `hub and spoke’ model of the Civil Aviation Ministry (MoCA) under which passengers can do immigration and baggage checking at the `spoke’ airport itself. MoCA issued a show-cause notice to Air India, and two staffers of the airline have been suspended.
The three passengers had flown on an Air India flight from Amritsar to Delhi enroute to Munich under the hub-and-spoke model, under which they were supposed to be given customs and immigration clearance. However, they left India without completing the immigration process at any of the airports, alarming security agencies after the lapse.
Civil Aviation Minister Mr K. Rammohan Naidu said on Tuesday that the entire security ecosystem for the hub-and-spoke model flights have been thoroughly revised and strengthened to prevent any lapses in the future. Accordingly the entire passenger movement starting from passenger boarding-pass issuance, and their segregation and movement at the connecting airport along with the role of DigiYatra has been discussed.
"One thing is that we want the security to be intact. There shouldn't be any compromise in terms of security detail in our airport operations. And the second is, we also want to facilitate a lot of convenience to our international passengers. That is where the idea of hub-and-spoke operations comes in," the minister said.
"We have done three cities, and it was going comfortably until we found a lapse there. So immediately, from the ministry, we responded and gave a show-cause notice to Air India ... If there is any issue that is coming that needs to be immediately addressed," he added. He further said that a meeting was held with Air India to understand the carrier's checks and balances so that such incidents do not reoccur.
Under the hub and spoke model, international passengers complete check-in, immigration and customs formalities at the originating spoke airport, which is itself an international airport, before commencing their journey to global destinations. After arriving at the designated hub airport, passengers can proceed directly to their onward international flight without repeating immigration or customs procedures. Baggage is transferred seamlessly, significantly improving passenger convenience and reducing travel complexity.
Meanwhile, the minister said that the government will not cap airfares for the upcoming festive season but will advise airlines to keep the prices reasonable. He said the operating costs for aviation companies have risen due to higher air fuel costs in the wake of conflict in West Asia.
“We engage with the airlines continuously; we also have regular meetings with them. And we definitely point it out to them that during this festive season, you have to ensure that the fair prices are kept at a reasonable level so that the people who want to travel, especially in these important times, get to see the benefit," the minister said.
