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 was attended by senior officials 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) at all airports across the country to reduce human resource costs, with appropriate standards to be 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.
Significant infrastructure development was mandated with 62 airports prioritized for completion within two years - comprising 21 currently under development and 41 additional airports. Development will be based on passenger traffic while adhering to security standards prescribed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), with commercial areas required to remain within prescribed norms. The Ministry of Civil Aviation was directed to establish norms for aerobridge numbers based on passenger traffic and air traffic.
Security and immigration enhancements include extending baggage drop facilities from the current 16 major airports to other high-traffic international airports, while maintaining strict educational qualifications for CISF personnel assigned to X-ray screening duties. Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) offices will be made operational at all State Headquarters by 2027, with authorized immigration checkpoints at Agartala and Jewar airports to be established 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. 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.