New Delhi: Finding security risks in Air India's Hub and Spoke policy, the Home Ministry has red flagged the national carrier's ambitious plan that connects several tier-II cities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi, with international destinations.
Several security lapses have been detected in the Air India's Hub and Spoke operations, which connect Amritsar, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Panaji, Bhubaneswar and Varanasi with metro cities before flying the passengers to foreign destinations, Home Ministry officials said.
Under the facility, international passengers are required to clear immigration and security at the boarding airport but no check is done at the last port of exit.
However, since such flights also carry domestic passengers, who get off at places like Delhi and Mumbai, there is a risk that someone, whom police is looking for, can leave the country by exchanging boarding passes with an accomplice who may have a boarding pass for the international leg of the trip.
"This is a very serious security risk which we can't ignore. We want the Air India to ensure that the system is foolproof," an official said.
The Home Ministry wants a security and immigration check at Delhi and Mumbai hubs or any of the last port of departure.
28/02/16 PTI/IBN Live
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Several security lapses have been detected in the Air India's Hub and Spoke operations, which connect Amritsar, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Panaji, Bhubaneswar and Varanasi with metro cities before flying the passengers to foreign destinations, Home Ministry officials said.
Under the facility, international passengers are required to clear immigration and security at the boarding airport but no check is done at the last port of exit.
However, since such flights also carry domestic passengers, who get off at places like Delhi and Mumbai, there is a risk that someone, whom police is looking for, can leave the country by exchanging boarding passes with an accomplice who may have a boarding pass for the international leg of the trip.
"This is a very serious security risk which we can't ignore. We want the Air India to ensure that the system is foolproof," an official said.
The Home Ministry wants a security and immigration check at Delhi and Mumbai hubs or any of the last port of departure.
28/02/16 PTI/IBN Live
