HM orders seamless passenger flow framework
New Delhi, July 8: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Wednesday directed the phased installation of the Automatic Tray Retrieval System (ATRS) at airports across the country and ordered the development of an integrated framework to ensure seamless passenger movement across all airport touch-points.
The directions were issued during a high-level review meeting on passenger facilities, security arrangements and the immigration system at major airports, attended by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, the Union Home Secretary, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force, Chairman of the Airports Authority of India and other senior officials.
Shah directed that the Automatic Tray Retrieval System be installed in a phased manner at airports across the country to improve operational efficiency and reduce human resource requirements. He also said appropriate standards should be prescribed to ensure the system is incorporated at all new airports.
To improve passenger experience, the Home Minister asked officials to develop a comprehensive framework integrating airport entry lanes, check-in counters, security screening lanes and immigration counters so that passenger movement remains uninterrupted at every touch-point. He said a coordinated plan should be implemented across all airport processes to minimise congestion and delays.
Shah also directed that the 21 airports currently under development and another 41 airports be prioritised based on passenger traffic while complying with security standards prescribed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. He set a target of completing work at all 62 airports within the next two years.
The Home Minister further instructed the Ministry of Civil Aviation to lay down norms for the number of aerobridges at airports based on passenger and aircraft traffic. He also directed that the baggage drop facility, currently available at 16 major airports, be extended to other international airports handling high passenger volumes.
Emphasising security standards, Shah said there should be no dilution in the educational qualifications prescribed for CISF personnel deployed for X-ray baggage screening and directed that only suitably qualified personnel be assigned to such duties.
He also directed that Foreigners Regional Registration Office offices be made operational at the headquarters of all states by 2027 and asked authorities to operationalise authorised immigration checkpoints at Agartala and Jewar airports at the earliest.
To promote the Fast Track Immigration–Trusted Travellers’ Programme (FTI-TTP), Shah directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation to coordinate with airlines to send WhatsApp messages to passengers at the time of booking international tickets, encouraging them to register for the programme.
He further instructed the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the CISF to independently commission third-party studies during peak travel seasons to assess passenger delays at major airports and recommend measures to improve processing efficiency across all touch-points.
