Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu reviewed passenger facilities, security arrangements, and the immigration system at major airports. The meeting was attended by Union Home Secretary, Director of Intelligence Bureau, Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Chairman of Airports Authority of India and several other senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah directed that an Automatic tray retrieval system (ATRS) be installed in a phased manner at all airports across the country with the objective of reducing human resource costs. He also said that appropriate standards should be laid down to ensure that Automatic tray retrieval system is installed at new airports.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah directed that a comprehensive framework be developed by taking into account the interdependence between entry lanes, check-in counters, security screening lanes, and immigration counters at airports, so that passenger flow is not disrupted at any touch-point. He said that a coordinated plan has been prepared for every touch-point at airports to ensure the seamless movement of passengers.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah directed that the 21 airports currently under development and the remaining 41 airports be prioritized for development based on passenger traffic, in accordance with the security standards prescribed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), with the objective of enhancing passenger convenience while ensuring that commercial areas remain within the prescribed norms. He further directed that the work at all 62 airports be completed within the next two years.

Shri Amit Shah also directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation to lay down norms for the number of aerobridges at all airports based on passenger traffic and air traffic. He further directed that the baggage drop facility, currently available at the 16 major airports, be extended to other international airports with high passenger traffic as well. He said that there should be no dilution in the educational qualifications prescribed for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed for X-ray screening. He also directed that officers and personnel possessing the requisite educational qualifications be assigned to X-ray screening duties.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) offices should be made operational at the headquarters of all States by 2027. He also directed that the authorized immigration checkpoints at Agartala and Jewar airports be made operational at the earliest. He further said that, to popularize the Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Travellers’ Programme (FTI-TTP), a mechanism should be established in coordination with airlines to send a WhatsApp message to passengers at the time of booking an international ticket, requesting them to register for the FTI-TTP.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Central Industrial Security Force should independently commission separate third-party studies during the peak travel season to assess and reduce passenger delays at all touch-points across major airports.

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RR/PR/PS