Air India has received a show-cause notice from the Civil Aviation Ministry over an alleged immigration procedure lapse at Delhi airport. Three Italian passengers reportedly travelled from Amritsar to Delhi on September 4 and later boarded a Lufthansa flight to Munich without completing the required immigration formalities.

The passengers were reportedly allowed to enter the international transfer area after arriving in Delhi. Since they did not complete immigration before their onward international journey, questions have been raised about how the airport transfer process was handled.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has been asked to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident. The airline has not publicly commented on the matter so far.

Home Ministry to Review the Incident

The Ministry of Home Affairs is also examining the case. A meeting of senior officials and other stakeholders is scheduled to discuss how the passengers were able to move into the international transfer area without passing through immigration.

Home Secretary Govind Mohan is expected to chair the meeting. Officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, Intelligence Bureau, Bureau of Immigration, Air India and Delhi airport are expected to participate.

The discussion is likely to focus on passenger processing, airline coordination and the checks required when travellers move between domestic and international flights.

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What Happened to the Three Passengers?

The three Italian nationals arrived in Delhi after travelling from Amritsar on an Air India flight. They were then scheduled to continue to Munich on a Lufthansa flight.

Under the applicable procedure, they were required to complete immigration checks in Delhi before departing on the international flight. However, sources said they were directed toward the international transfer area instead of going through the normal arrival route and immigration counters.

They subsequently boarded the Lufthansa flight to Munich without completing the required immigration process.

Hub-and-Spoke Rules at the Centre of the Case

The incident has also highlighted Air India's hub-and-spoke transfer system. The arrangement is designed to make international connections easier for eligible passengers travelling through designated hub airports.

Under the system, passengers can complete immigration at their originating airport in certain qualifying journeys. After reaching the hub, they generally undergo security checks before continuing to their international flight.

Amritsar can function as a spoke airport while Delhi serves as the hub for eligible connections. However, the journey involving the three Italian passengers did not fall under the applicable seamless-transfer arrangement.

Why the Immigration Process Matters

Since the passengers were travelling on a connection involving Air India and Lufthansa outside the eligible hub-and-spoke process, they were expected to leave the domestic arrival area at Delhi and complete immigration before proceeding to their international departure.

Sources said the passengers had received boarding passes for both flights at Amritsar. Their movement into the international transfer area therefore raised concerns about whether established procedures were correctly followed.

Air India and Lufthansa have an interline partnership, which allows the airlines to coordinate certain aspects of connecting journeys. However, such arrangements do not automatically remove immigration requirements.