The launch of the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Program (FTI-TTP) at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has been postponed. Initially scheduled for December 30, the event has been deferred by the Bureau of Immigration, and no information regarding a rescheduled date has been provided.
The FTI-TTP initiative was introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this year to streamline immigration processes at airports across India. The program was first implemented at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where it has been reported that approximately 19,000 passengers have already enrolled. Plans for the second phase, which was intended to cover seven major airports, including Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, and Ahmedabad, have been delayed without further clarification.
It has been suggested by officials that the postponement was linked to the recent passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with the event likely to take place after the official mourning period. The initiative is expected to be an essential measure for reducing wait times for international passengers, particularly with air travel predicted to grow significantly by 2025.
The program has been designed to benefit Indian nationals and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cardholders by enabling faster immigration clearance through biometric verification. Facial recognition and fingerprint data are used at e-gates to ensure a smoother process during both arrivals and departures. Registration for the program can be carried out at designated airport terminals or at Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) by appointment. It has been stated that passengers will be required to submit essential documents, such as a passport-sized photograph, a scanned copy of their passport, proof of address, and, for OCI cardholders, a copy of their OCI card. Once the data has been recorded, it can be reused for future trips, making the immigration process more convenient for frequent travelers.
The Bureau of Immigration has indicated that the enrollment process could take up to a month to complete. With plans to expand the initiative to 21 airports across the country, the program is expected to become a game-changer for enhancing international travel efficiency in India.
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