Air India Faces Scrutiny Over Italians Skipping Immigration

The Indian government has asked Air India to explain why three Italian passengers were allowed to catch a connecting flight from Delhi without going through immigration. The Civil Aviation Ministry sent them a formal warning, and a meeting with officials is scheduled for September 15 to discuss the incident.

The passengers flew from Amritsar to Delhi on September 4 and then took a Lufthansa flight to Munich. They skipped the immigration process at Delhi Airport.

Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, has been asked to provide details about any mistakes that might have happened. The meeting will be led by Home Secretary Govind Mohan and will include officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, Intelligence Bureau, and airport authorities.

Air India operates a “Hub-and-Spoke” system at some airports, like Amritsar, where passengers can complete immigration before their flight. However, in this case, the flights to Delhi and Munich did not follow this model, so the passengers were supposed to go through immigration at Delhi Airport after landing. Instead, they were directed to a transfer area and missed the chance to clear customs before boarding their next flight.

Air India and Lufthansa have an agreement allowing passengers to book connecting flights as one journey. However, the three Italians bypassed the required immigration process during their stop in Delhi.