MHA calls meeting after 3 Italian passengers bypassed immigration at Delhi airport: What we know

MHA has called an emergency meeting after three Italian passengers allegedly boarded a Lufthansa flight to Munich without completing mandatory immigration at Delhi airport. Air India was issued a show-cause notice over the incident.

The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) will hold an emergency meeting with senior officials on Tuesday after three Italian passengers allegedly bypassed a mandatory immigration at Delhi airport and boarded a flight to Germany. The incident reportedly took place on September 4.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the passengers first travelled from Amritsar to Delhi and then boarded a Lufthansa flight to German city of Munich.

They arrived in Delhi from Amritsar on AI 1115 at 12.50 am on September 4 and departed for Munich at 1.45 am.

Notice issued to Air India

The meeting, to be held later today, will be chaired by Union home secretary Govind Mohan. It will also be attended by secretary and additional secretary of the civil aviation ministry, Intelligence Bureau director, secretary and additional secretary of the home ministry, Bureau of Immigration (BoI) commissioner, Air India Group head and Delhi airport CEO.

Earlier, a show-cause notice was issued to Air India on September 12 by the Union ministry of civil aviation (MoCA). The action came after concerns were raised by the MHA over the handling of the passengers by the airline.

The Hindustan Times report further mentioned that Air India was yet to respond to the notice by MoCA.

Lapse at Amritsar airport?

The lapse likely occurred at Amritsar airport as the three passengers had travelled to Delhi from there to board their flight out of India. They, though, did not complete immigration formalities at the Delhi airport before boarding the flight.

The passengers were issued two boarding passes at the Amritsar airport and were supposed to complete their immigration at Delhi airport but instead they were directed to the international-to-international transfer. This allowed them to board the international flight without completing the mandatory process.

'Hub-and-spoke model'

Amritsar is one of the airports where the Union government has introduced "hub-and-spoke model". According to this model, passengers travelling to international destinations can complete immigration formalities at the origin airport and then transferred to the international flight at the designated hub.

Passengers are only required to undergo security checks before boarding their international flights. However, in the present case, as the flights were not operating under hub-and-spoke arrangement, the passengers were required to undergo immigration formalities in Delhi.

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