Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu conducted a comprehensive review of passenger facilities, security arrangements, and immigration systems at major airports. The meeting included senior officials from both ministries, including the Union Home Secretary, Director of Intelligence Bureau, Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and Chairman of Airports Authority of India.
Minister Shah directed the phased implementation of Automatic Tray Retrieval Systems (ATRS) across all airports to reduce human resource costs, with appropriate standards established for new airports. A comprehensive framework will be developed to coordinate entry lanes, check-in counters, security screening lanes, and immigration counters to ensure seamless passenger movement without disruption at any touch-point.
Regarding airport development, 21 airports currently under development and an additional 41 airports will be prioritized based on passenger traffic, following security standards prescribed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). All work at these 62 airports must be completed within the next two years, with commercial areas remaining within prescribed norms. The Ministry of Civil Aviation was directed to establish norms for the number of aerobridges based on passenger traffic and air traffic.
Infrastructure enhancements include extending baggage drop facilities—currently available at 16 major airports—to other international airports with high passenger traffic. CISF personnel assigned to X-ray screening must maintain prescribed educational qualifications, with qualified officers specifically assigned to these duties.
Immigration system improvements include establishing Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) offices at all State Headquarters by 2027 and making authorized immigration checkpoints operational at Agartala and Jewar airports at the earliest. To popularize the Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Travellers' Programme (FTI-TTP), a mechanism will be established in coordination with airlines to send WhatsApp messages to passengers at the time of international ticket booking, encouraging registration on the portal.
Finally, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and CISF will independently commission separate third-party studies during peak travel season to assess and reduce passenger delays at all touch-points across major airports.