Delhi Airport's Fast-Track Program To Be Extended To 20 Indian Cities; All Details Here

Months after the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi became the first airport in India to introduce a "Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme" (FTI-TTP) for Indian passport holders and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, the central government will now extend the initiative to 20 other cities.

Announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the FTI-TTP is a biometric system designed to enhance pre-verified travellers’ immigration journey at the time of both arrival and departure. Preparations are being made for the expansion of the program to seven major airports in the coming days, namely Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. There are plans for other airports to adopt this program, too.

According to a senior MHA official, the program’s goal is to enable Indians to fly abroad smoothly since India is gradually emerging as an international aviation hub. The FTI-TTP is implemented through an online portal with the Bureau of Immigration being the nodal agency. Eligible passengers use automated gates (e-gates) and bypass regular immigration queues, reducing this portion of their journey from nearly 30 minutes to just a few seconds. So far, 18,400 individuals (Indian passport holders and OCI cardholders) have already registered.

At the e-gates, registered passengers scan their boarding passes to retrieve flight details. Their passports are also scanned, and their biometrics are authenticated. Once their identity is confirmed, the e-gate opens automatically, granting them immigration clearance. Individuals have to apply online first by providing the necessary details, which the Bureau of Immigration will verify. After approval, applicants will receive a notification to schedule an appointment for biometric collection at international airports or the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office.

FTI registration is valid for a maximum of five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. Applicants must provide biometrics and ensure their passports have at least six months of validity when applying for the FTI-TTP.

(With inputs from multiple news reports)