Three Italian passengers departed India from Delhi airport on September 4 without completing mandatory immigration formalities. They had traveled from Amritsar on an Air India flight and connected to a Lufthansa flight to Munich. The passengers arrived in Delhi on Air India flight AI 1115 at 12:50 a.m. and departed on a Lufthansa codeshare flight at 1:45 a.m. Both boarding passes were issued at Amritsar.
Since these flights were not part of Air India’s Hub-and-Spoke model, the passengers were required to exit through the arrival area at Delhi and complete immigration before boarding the international flight. However, they were reportedly taken directly to the international transfer area without reaching the immigration counter, allowing them to board the Lufthansa flight without the required clearance.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has issued a show-cause notice to Air India’s CEO, citing violations of standard operating procedures and the departure of the three foreign nationals without immigration clearance. The Home Ministry has called a stakeholder meeting chaired by Home Secretary Govind Mohan to examine the incident. Senior officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, Intelligence Bureau, Home Ministry, Bureau of Immigration, Air India, and Delhi airport will participate.
The incident has raised concerns over passenger transfer procedures and coordination between airlines, airport authorities, and immigration officials at Delhi airport.
