NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday directed that all 62 major airports in the country — including 21 under development and 41 prioritised for development, based on passenger traffic — be brought in line within two years, with standards prescribed by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), with the objective of enhancing passenger convenience while ensuring that the commercial areas remain within prescribed norms.Chairing a meeting here to review passenger facilities, security arrangements and the immigration system at the major airports, Shah asked the ministry of civil aviation — represented by minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu — to lay down norms for the number of aerobridges at all airports, after taking into account the passenger and air traffic. He directed that the baggage drop facility, currently available at the 16 major airports, be extended to other international airports with high passenger volume.Replicating the modernised systems at leading airports of the world, Shah pitched for installation of an automated X-ray tray return system (ARTS) — and making this part of the standard norms — in a phased manner at all airports of the country, so as to cut human resource costs. He suggested that the civil aviation ministry and CISF commission separate third-party studies during the peak travel season to assess and reduce passenger delays at all touch-points across major airports.Dwelling on immigration and visa compliance matters, Shah sought operationalisation of the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) offices at the headquarters of all states by 2027. Currently, FRRO offices exist at a dozen locations; with the FRRO functions are discharged by the district SP in other places. The home minister on Wednesday also directed that the authorized immigration checkpoints at Agartala and Jewar airports be made operational at the earliest.To ensure a smooth and seamless passenger flow at airports, Shah directed that a comprehensive framework be developed by taking into account the interdependence between entry lanes, check-in counters, security screening lanes, and immigration counters at airports. He said that a coordinated plan has been prepared for every touch-point at airports.Aiming to promote the Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Travellers’ Programme (FTI-TTP), which allows pre-approved passengers to clear immigration through automated e-gates with biometric identification, in partnership with the airlines, Shah said a mechanism should be established wherein the airline can send a WhatsApp invite to passengers at the time of booking of an international ticket, to register for FTI-TTP.Shah insisted there should be no dilution in the educational qualifications prescribed for the CISF personnel deployed for X-ray screening.
