Govt holds meeting with focus on expediting immigration process at airports

Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday chaired an advisory committee group meeting on possible changes in airport interior design, as well as new technologies to expedite immigration and security check processes for international travellers.

“We are currently discussing design models to speed up immigration and security for international travellers. New technologies such as e-biometrics are also on the anvil and are currently being tested. These will be key in our vision for international aviation hubs in India,” said Scindia in a post on X.

He also emphasised the ministry’s dedication to position India as a global leader in air travel and the industry’s common goal to create multiple aviation hubs in the country.

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Among the solutions discussed in the meeting was the possibility of cross-utilising domestic and international XBIS (X-Ray Baggage Inspection Systems) machines at Delhi airport to ensure greater availability of machines and consequently, lesser wait times.

The deployment of new technologies such as e-gates and e-biometrics for immigration, for which proof of concept trials are underway, was also considered.

Additionally, the meeting discussed an expansion in the manpower of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and immigrants officers, taking into account the planned expansion of existing airports as well as the planned establishment of new airports in Jewar, Navi Mumbai and other parts of the country.

Stakeholders from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Bureau of Immigration (BOI), (CISF, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Airports Authority of India were present in the meeting.