Building international aviation hubs in India: Scindia explores design and tech changes for expedited immigration and security checks at airports – The Financial Express

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia chaired an advisory committee group meeting on Friday. The focus was on exploring changes in airport interior design and adopting new technologies to streamline immigration and security checks for international travelers. This initiative is a pivotal step towards establishing international aviation hubs in India. The meeting drew inspiration from successful international airport models, particularly those of Singapore and Canada. Discussions centered around implementing solutions inspired by these models to enhance efficiency and security in Indian airports.

Key Highlights

Cross-Utilization of XBIS Machines: A proposal to cross-utilize domestic and international XBIS machines at Delhi airport was discussed. This aims to increase the availability of machines, thereby reducing wait times for travelers.

Deployment of New Technologies: Proof of concept trials for e-gates and e-biometrics for immigration processes are currently underway. These technologies are poised to set new standards for efficiency and security in air travel.

Manpower Analysis: A comprehensive analysis of the manpower requirements for CISF and Immigration officers was conducted. This analysis considers the planned expansion of existing and upcoming airports across the country, including those in Jewar, Navi Mumbai, and others.

Scindia took to social media platform X and said, “We are currently discussing the design models to speed up immigration & security for international travelers. New technologies such as e-biometrics are also on the anvil and are currently being tested. These will be key in our vision for international aviation hubs in India.”

Collaborative Approach with Key Stakeholders

Stakeholders from various ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Immigration, Central Industrial Security Force, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and Airports Authority of India, actively participated in the meeting. This collaborative effort underscores the shared goal of creating multiple aviation hubs in the country.