In a major security and immigration lapse, three Italian nationals reportedly travelled from Delhi to Munich without undergoing the mandatory immigration clearance required for international passengers departing India. The incident has prompted the Ministry of Civil Aviation to issue a show-cause notice to Air India, seeking an explanation within seven days.
Passengers Flew From Amritsar to Delhi
According to the ministry’s notice, the three passengers arrived in Delhi from Amritsar on Air India flight AI-1115 at around 12:50 am. Roughly an hour later, at around 1:45 am, they boarded Lufthansa flight LH-763 bound for Munich. The passengers had been issued “D” or domestic boarding passes for their Air India journey from Amritsar to Delhi. However, they were also provided boarding passes for their onward Lufthansa flight to Munich at Amritsar. As they were travelling internationally, they should have been identified as international passengers after reaching Delhi and directed through the immigration process before proceeding to the international departure area.
SOP Rules Under Scrutiny
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has raised questions over whether established standard operating procedures (SOPs) were followed at the airport. The prescribed boarding-pass system requires passengers to be classified under “D” or “I” categories. Domestic and international passengers are also required to be segregated after disembarkation. Under the procedure, only passengers carrying “I”-category boarding passes should be allowed to access the International-to-International Transfer Desk. The incident has therefore raised questions about how the three passengers continued through the airport without being flagged for immigration clearance.
Lapse Detected During Manual Reconciliation
The ministry has also questioned why the discrepancy was not detected through the established checks before the passengers boarded their international flight. According to the notice, the lapse came to light later during a manual reconciliation process. Air India has now been asked to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident and provide its response within seven days. The episode has raised fresh concerns over passenger-handling procedures and coordination between domestic and international travel systems at major Indian airports.
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Shamshad Ali is a New Delhi–based journalist with over six years of experience spanning breaking news writing, on-the-ground reporting, and editing. When he isn’t chasing headlines, Shamshad is usually exploring new destinations, discovering hidden culinary gems, and striking up conversations with strangers. Many of whom turn out to be great sources, and even better friends. He can be reached at shamshadali.dar@gmail.com.
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