Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia on Friday chaired an advisory committee group meeting with airport operators, CISF and Bureau of Immigration officials to discuss possible changes in airport interior design as well as new technologies to expedite immigration and security check processes for international travelers.

This is being seen as a major step in building international aviation hubs in India.

The meeting delved into solutions derived from studying international airport models such as those of Singapore and Canada.

Among various issues, the meeting considered:
–Cross-Utilization of XBIS Machines: Exploring the possibility of cross-utilizing domestic and international XBIS machines at Delhi airport to ensure greater availability of machines, and hence, lesser wait time;
–Deployment of New Technologies: proof of concept trials for use of e-gates and e-biometrics for immigration are already underway. These are set to redefine the standards of efficiency and security in air travel; and
–Increasing Manpower: a thorough analysis has been undertaken with regard to manpower requirements of CISF and Immigration officers. This analysis takes into account the planned expansion of existing, as well as new airports to come across the country, including those in Jewar, Navi Mumbai, and others.

Later Mr Scindia on his X handle wrote, “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.”

He also emphasised the government’s commitment for embracing innovation and leveraging technology to transform India’s civil aviation landscape. He reiterated the ministry’s dedication for positioning India as a global leader in air travel and industry’s common goal to create multiple aviation hubs in the country.

Stakeholders from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Bureau of Immigration (BOI), Central Industrial Security Force(CISF), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Airports Authority of India were present in the meeting.