The government has revised boarding-pass procedures for passengers travelling on interline and codeshare flights following an immigration lapse at Delhi airport in September. Under the new system, connecting passengers will receive their second boarding pass only after completing the mandatory immigration checks at the transfer airport.
The decision follows an incident on September 4, when three Italian passengers travelling from Amritsar to Delhi boarded a connecting Lufthansa flight to Munich without completing the required immigration formalities. The passengers had been issued boarding passes for both legs of their journey at Amritsar airport, even though their flights did not fall under Air India’s hub-and-spoke model.
Revised Procedures for Connecting Passengers
Under the updated rules, airlines will issue the second boarding pass for interline and codeshare passengers at the connecting airport after immigration clearance, rather than at the originating airport. Both boarding passes will carry the letter ‘I’ instead of ‘D’, including for the domestic portion of an international journey, to help authorities identify and verify passengers correctly.
Airlines and airport authorities are coordinating to implement the changes, with additional checks introduced at boarding points and transfer areas. Delhi airport has also provided extra counters to facilitate the revised process and manage passenger movement.
Baggage Procedures Remain Unchanged
Despite the changes to boarding-pass issuance, baggage procedures will remain the same. Passengers travelling on interline and codeshare connections can continue to check in their baggage at the originating airport, with luggage tagged for the entire journey.
An interline journey involves different airlines operating separate flight segments under a single ticket. A codeshare arrangement allows two or more airlines to market seats on the same flight, even though one airline operates the aircraft.
Air India’s Hub-and-Spoke Model Excluded
The revised procedure does not apply to Air India’s hub-and-spoke system, under which passengers can complete immigration at the originating airport before boarding an international flight through a designated hub. For these connections, both boarding passes will continue to be issued at the origin airport.
The distinction aims to ensure that passengers travelling under different connecting-flight arrangements follow the appropriate immigration procedures.
Incident Prompts Review of Airport Security Measures
The September incident prompted a review of passenger verification and boarding procedures. The government subsequently worked with airlines and airport authorities to strengthen safeguards and prevent passengers from boarding international flights without completing mandatory immigration checks.
The revised system seeks to improve coordination between airlines and airport authorities while ensuring that immigration clearance takes place at the correct stage of a passenger’s journey.
