3 Italians skip immigration at Delhi airport, fly out; Air India gets notice

Three Italian passengers boarded a flight from Delhi to Munich without completing immigration formalities at the airport earlier this month, prompting the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to issue a show-cause notice to Air India over the procedural lapses.

The three passengers had travelled from Amritsar to Delhi on an Air India flight on September 4 and were subsequently booked on a Lufthansa flight to Munich.

However, instead of completing immigration at Delhi before taking the international flight, they were taken to the international transfer area and proceeded to board the Lufthansa flight, sources said.

The Aviation Ministry has sought an explanation from Air India CEO Campbell Wilson over the alleged lapses.

The incident has also prompted the Union Home Ministry to call a meeting of officials and stakeholders today.

Home Secretary Govind Mohan is expected to chair the meeting, which will be attended by senior officials from the home and civil aviation ministries, the Intelligence Bureau, Bureau of Immigration, Air India and Delhi airport, according to sources.

The meeting is expected to include the Secretary and Additional Secretary of the civil aviation ministry, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, the Additional Secretary (UT and Foreigners) in the home ministry, the Bureau of Immigration Commissioner, Air India CEO and Delhi airport CEO.

Air India has not commented on the incident.WHAT HAPPENED AT DELHI AIRPORT

The three Italians were issued boarding passes at Amritsar for both their flight to Delhi and the onward Lufthansa flight to Munich, the sources said.

Air India operates a 'Hub-and-Spoke' model on some routes, including flights from Amritsar. Under this arrangement, passengers travelling overseas via a hub airport can complete immigration formalities at the origin, or 'spoke', airport.

At the hub, where the international flight departs, they only need to undergo security checks before boarding.

In this case, however, the Amritsar-Delhi and Delhi-Munich flights were not covered under that arrangement.

The passengers were therefore required to exit through the arrival area at Delhi airport and complete immigration before proceeding to their Lufthansa flight.

Instead, they were directed to the international transfer area after arriving in Delhi, which meant they did not reach the immigration counter before boarding the flight to Munich, the sources said.- Ends(With PTI inputs)Published By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Sep 15, 2026 08:03 IST