3 Italian citizens travelled from Amritsar to Munich through Delhi without completing the required immigration clearance before boarding their international flight, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The ministry has issued Air India a show-cause notice and sought a response within 7 days.
The incident took place on 4 September. The passengers arrived in Delhi from Amritsar at around 12:50 on Air India flight AI-1115. About an hour later, they departed for Munich at one:45 on Lufthansa flight LH-763.
How the passengers moved through Delhi
The ministry said the passengers were treated as domestic travellers during their journey from Amritsar to Delhi. Air India issued them a ‘D’ category boarding pass for the domestic sector and also provided boarding passes for the onward Lufthansa flight.
Under Air India’s domestic-international operations procedure, ‘D’ refers to domestic travel while ‘I’ refers to international travel. The ministry questioned how passengers holding domestic boarding passes were able to access the international-to-international transfer area at Delhi airport.
After arriving in Delhi, the passengers were directed through gate 39 towards that transfer area instead of being identified as international travellers and sent for immigration. They then reached the departure area and boarded the Lufthansa flight to Munich.
Ministry flags procedure failures
The ministry has identified alleged breaches in 5 parts of Air India’s operating arrangements. These include keeping domestic and international passengers separate, allowing only passengers with an ‘I’ boarding pass to proceed to the international transfer desk, and maintaining round-the-clock nodal officers and monitoring teams at hub and spoke airports.
According to the ministry, the passenger-monitoring and routing arrangements did not work effectively in this case. The notice asks Air India to explain how the passengers entered the international transfer area and why Lufthansa boarding passes were issued at Amritsar.
The airline has also been asked to clarify the role of Air India and SATS staff, whether the required nodal officer and monitoring team were present, and how passenger records were checked. The discrepancy was identified later during manual reconciliation.
What Air India has been asked to explain
Air India must respond to the notice within 7 days. The ministry said administrative and regulatory action may be considered on the basis of the available records if a response is not received within the stipulated period.
The case centres on the handling of passengers travelling on a domestic sector before connecting to an international flight. It also raises questions about boarding-pass classification, access control and coordination between the airline, airport staff and transfer-monitoring teams.
Conclusion
The ministry’s notice puts the focus on how 3 international-bound passengers passed through Delhi without immigration clearance and whether Air India’s passenger-routing and monitoring procedures were followed. The airline’s response will determine the next administrative and regulatory step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What happened at Delhi airport?
3 Italian citizens boarded a flight to Munich after travelling from Amritsar via Delhi without completing the required immigration clearance.
Q. Which flights did the passengers take?
They travelled from Amritsar to Delhi on Air India flight AI-1115 and later flew from Delhi to Munich on Lufthansa flight LH-763.
Q. When did the incident occur?
The incident took place on 4 September.
Q. What action has the Ministry of Civil Aviation taken?
It issued Air India a show-cause notice and asked the airline to respond within 7 days.
Q. What boarding-pass issue is being examined?
The passengers were issued a ‘D’ domestic boarding pass along with boarding passes for their onward Lufthansa flight, despite travelling onward internationally.
Q. How was the lapse identified?
The ministry said the discrepancy emerged during manual reconciliation.
Q. Which organisation besides Air India has been mentioned?
The ministry has asked about the role of SATS staff in the incident.
Q. What could happen if Air India does not respond?
Administrative and regulatory action may be considered on the basis of the available records.
