Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Air India Faces Notice Over Immigration Lapses at Delhi Airport
Three Italian passengers flew from Amritsar to Delhi and then planned to travel to Munich.
They boarded the Lufthansa flight without completing the required immigration process in Delhi.
Officials say the passengers were taken to an international transfer area instead of the immigration counter.
The flights were not part of Air India’s special hub-and-spoke process.
Under the normal process, the passengers should have exited through arrivals and completed immigration before their next flight.
The civil aviation ministry has asked Air India to explain what happened.
Air India has not publicly commented on the incident.
Government officials will meet to discuss the problem.
The meeting will also examine how airport and airline procedures can prevent similar incidents.
The civil aviation ministry issued Air India a show-cause notice over alleged procedural lapses involving three Italian passengers.
The passengers flew from Amritsar to Delhi on September 4 and then boarded a Lufthansa flight to Munich without completing immigration.
The passengers were reportedly sent to Delhi’s international transfer area instead of the immigration counter.
Because the flights were not covered by Air India’s hub-and-spoke model, the passengers were supposed to complete immigration in Delhi.
Home Secretary Govind Mohan will chair a stakeholder meeting, with officials from aviation, home affairs, immigration, intelligence and the airports expected to attend.
- Who
- Three Italian passengers, Air India, Lufthansa and government aviation and home-affairs officials are involved.
- What
- Three passengers boarded a Delhi-to-Munich flight without completing immigration, prompting a show-cause notice to Air India.
- When
- The passengers traveled on September 4; the stakeholder meeting was scheduled for Tuesday.
- Where
- The incident occurred at Delhi airport after the passengers arrived from Amritsar.
- Why
- Officials allege procedural lapses led the passengers to the international transfer area instead of the immigration counter.
- Passengers involved
- Three Italian passengers
- Travel route
- Amritsar to Delhi, followed by Delhi to Munich
- Date of travel
- September 4
- Notice recipient
- Air India CEO Campbell Wilson
- Immigration issue
- The passengers boarded the Lufthansa flight without completing immigration in Delhi
- Meeting chair
- Home Secretary Govind Mohan
- Airline relationship
- Air India and Lufthansa have an interline partnership