CSMIA Mumbai: Launch of Fast Track Immigration System postponed, aiming to streamline passenger clearance with biometric verification | Representational Image
Mumbai: The launch of Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Program (FTI-TTP) to speed up the immigration clearance process at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has been postponed.
The program, which will verify the travellers’ details through biometrics, was supposed to be inaugurated at the Mumbai Airport on December 30 but the Bureau of Immigration has postponed the event without announcing the new date.
To reduce the immigration processing time for international passengers at the airports, the Ministry of Home Affairs had launched the FTI-TTP program in June. The facility was started at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and will be launched at 21 airports across the country. In the initial phase, a total of seven airports will be covered including CSMIA Mumbai Airport.
After the launch of India’s first fast track immigration at Delhi airport, around 19,000 passengers have reportedly enrolled for the facility. The program was expected to be launched at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Ahmedabad on December 30 with a staging event at Ahmedabad. However, official sources told the Free Press Journal that the Bureau of Immigration, on Friday, postponed the launch until further notice.
The sources suggested that the call to postpone the launch was given due to the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and will most probably take place after the mourning period. While air travel is expected to see a steep rise in 2025, this immigration facility will prove to be an added benefit for international flyers.
What Is FTI-TTP?
The FTI-TTP initiative was launched to speed up the immigration clearance process for Indian nationals and foregin nationals holding the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI). The eligible applicants can save time during departure and arrival by going through a streamlined immigration process from e-gates which uses biometrics information including the fingerprint and face image.
Indian and OCI travellers can sign up for FTI-TTP at the airport terminal when using the facility for the first time. The saved data can be later used every time during an international journey. The travellers need to submit their passport-size photograph, a scanned copy of the passport, proof of present address and a scanned copy of OCI card, if the traveller is an overseas citizen.
Applicants can enrol their biometrics at the designated international airport in India or the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) by prior appointment. According to the Bureau of Immigration, which directly supervises on this immigration process, the registration process for FTI-TTP can take up to one month.
