JOIN USImmigration at Delhi airport to get 'e-gate' boost
Delhi’s international airport is set to automate its immigration process as it gears up to install “e-gates” starting July that will likely simplify and quicken how international passengers enter the country with almost no human intervention.
The bureau of immigration is likely to initially install eight e-gates at the Indira Gandhi International Airport—split equally between the departure and arrival immigration areas, would be installed—the Hindustan Times reported, citing officials.
The facility ,known as the Trusted Travellers Program (TTP), would halve the immigration clearance time from the current 1.5 to 2 minutes per passenger at counters manned by immigration officials to around 30 to 40 seconds, officials told the daily. They added that the system was designed on the blueprint of United States’ Global Entry Program, which allows pre-approved immigration clearance for low-risk travellers.
“After ascertaining that the passport and boarding pass are genuine, a camera attached to the scanner will click a picture of the passenger’s face. The e-gate will also scan their fingerprints, which will be matched with a database of the prohibited or blacklisted passengers within seconds. Once cleared, the e-gates will open, allowing the passenger to proceed,” an officer told the publication.
India’s busiest airport had begun testing the e-gate system in December last year for a period of three months in a bid to make the process smoother and more efficient. The e-gate system has been used most notably in the United Kingdom with great success, though the country has suspended the e-gates in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Officials said that there would still be some staff to guide travellers through the process and passengers’ data would also be stored with the bureau of immigration for future use.