AISATS personnel under scanner over Air India hub-and-spoke immigration lapse
Ground‑handling agency AISATS personnel have been suspended as investigators probe an immigration lapse that let three Italian nationals board a Lufthansa flight from Delhi to Munich without departure clearance. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also issued a show‑cause notice to Air India over the breach of hub‑and‑spoke SOPs.
- ✓Ground‑handling agency AISATS personnel have been suspended as investigators probe an immigration lapse that let three Italian nationals board a Lufthansa flight from Delhi to Munich without departure clearance.
- ✓The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s notice cites a violation of the prescribed SOP for hub‑and‑spoke operations and has summoned Air India’s CEO.
- ✓The lapse comes after the ministry launched hub‑and‑spoke international services from Amritsar in July, making it the second spoke airport after Varanasi.
- ✓Under the “Easy Connect” scheme, passengers can clear immigration at Amritsar and use the I2I transfer facility at Delhi for onward flights.
Personnel of AISATS, the joint venture between Air India and SATS that handles ground operations, are under investigation after three Italian passengers travelled from Amritsar to Munich via Delhi without completing mandatory departure immigration checks, sources said. The agency has suspended the staff involved pending further inquiry.
The incident involved three Italian nationals who arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 00:50 hours on 4 September on Air India flight AI‑1115 from Amritsar. Their boarding passes were marked “D”, indicating a domestic‑to‑international (D2I) transfer, yet they were routed through the international‑to‑international (I2I) channel and boarded Lufthansa flight LH‑763 at 01:45 hours without immigration clearance. The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s notice cites a violation of the prescribed SOP for hub‑and‑spoke operations and has summoned Air India’s CEO.
The lapse comes after the ministry launched hub‑and‑spoke international services from Amritsar in July, making it the second spoke airport after Varanasi. Under the “Easy Connect” scheme, passengers can clear immigration at Amritsar and use the I2I transfer facility at Delhi for onward flights. The breach raises concerns over security protocols and may prompt stricter oversight of ground‑handling processes across Indian airports.
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| Issuing Authority | The Hindu BusinessLine Economy |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | INDIA |
| Jurisdiction | All India / National |
| Publication Date | 15 September 2026 |