An Air India staffer has been suspended after an investigation found the employee responsible for an immigration lapse that allowed three Italian passengers to board a Delhi-Munich flight without completing mandatory departure immigration clearance.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed the action on Tuesday, saying the staff member had been assigned to escort passengers through designated airport routes but failed to follow the prescribed procedures.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The incident occurred earlier this month when the three Italian nationals, who had travelled from Amritsar to Delhi, were able to board an international flight bound for Munich without undergoing the required immigration process at Delhi airport.
Following the incident, the Civil Aviation Ministry issued a show-cause notice to Air India and began examining the circumstances that led to the lapse.
According to the ministry, the investigation identified the Air India employee responsible for the passengers’ movement as being at fault. The staffer was subsequently suspended.
Authorities are now reviewing the broader procedures followed for passengers travelling on connecting international flights. The review covers multiple stages of the passenger journey in an effort to identify gaps and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Officials are examining procedures related to boarding-pass issuance, passenger routing, segregation and movement at connecting airports. The role of DigiYatra is also being reviewed as part of the assessment.
The government is also considering additional checks at transfer points. These could include closer verification of boarding-pass indicators and physical checks by ground personnel to ensure passengers follow the required immigration procedures before boarding international flights.
The incident comes as India expands its hub-and-spoke model for international air travel. Under this system, passengers travelling internationally via a major hub can complete immigration and customs formalities at their originating airport before continuing their journey through a connecting airport such as Delhi.
The model is currently operational for passengers travelling from Varanasi, Amritsar and Ahmedabad.
The government has promoted the system as a way of making international travel more convenient while reducing the need for passengers to transfer between domestic and international terminals at major airports.
However, the recent incident has highlighted the importance of ensuring that convenience measures do not create gaps in mandatory security and immigration procedures.
Naidu said passenger convenience remains an important consideration, particularly for families and other travellers who would otherwise have to navigate between domestic and international terminals during a connection.
At the same time, the minister stressed that mandatory immigration and security procedures cannot be compromised.
The ministry’s review is expected to focus on strengthening checks at different stages of the passenger journey rather than relying on a single layer of verification.
For Air India, the suspension comes as the airline continues to face scrutiny over operational procedures and passenger-handling systems. The latest incident has prompted authorities to examine whether additional safeguards are required for passengers transferring from domestic to international flights.
The government is expected to use the findings from the review to strengthen procedures at transfer points and ensure that passengers travelling on international routes complete all mandatory immigration formalities before departure.
