Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated the Fast Track Immigration — Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) at Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Trichy, Kozhikode, and Amritsar airports through video conferencing from the national capital.
The facility was first launched in 2024 from Delhi, followed by its implementation at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Kochi, and Ahmedabad airports, and now, five new airports have been added.
Shah, as per an official statement, said that it will not only enhance the convenience of travellers but also provide an opportunity to introduce them to the changes taking place in the country.
The FTI-TTP is a programme that enhances both convenience and national security, the minister said after inaugurating the facility.
The minister said that the process is now operational at a total of 13 airports simultaneously.
He also added that the Ministry of Home Affairs has planned to integrate this programme with the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Jewar airports.
The minister mentioned that all those who have used this facility so far have praised it.
Travellers now experience no long queues or manual checking, receiving immigration clearance in just 30 seconds without delays, he added.
The minister also said that approximately 3 lakh travellers have registered on the portal, of which 2.65 lakh have utilized it during travel, and efforts should be made to continuously increase this number.
Shah said that under the leadership of PM Modi, over the past 11 years, there has been significant increase in international passenger traffic.
He said the next stage of enhancing travellers’ convenience, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Speed, Scale, and Scope, starts today with this programme.
“PM Modi has always emphasized that, along with technological tools, we must also act as a trust multiplier, and today’s programme is a significant step in that direction,” the minister added.
He said with the Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP), seamless immigration facilities will be available at the airports, starting today.
“…merely providing convenience is not enough; we must ensure that the maximum number of travellers benefit from it,” he said, adding that to achieve this, efforts should be made to enable registration at the time of issuing passports and OCI cards.
He said that if this can be implemented, travellers will not need to return for fingerprinting or documentation, and they can travel using their passports whenever they wish.
The Union Home Minister said that all technical possibilities should be explored to ensure that the maximum number of people benefit from this programme.
He added that while Indian citizens will certainly benefit, OCI cardholders will benefit the most.