Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is set to become the second airport in India to implement the Trusted Traveller Programme of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, facilitating a seamless immigration process through self-authentication at specially designed smart gates at immigration counters.
Following the rollout at Delhi International Airport in June, CIAL has begun an infrastructure makeover at the immigration area. Eight lanes will be dedicated to biometric e-gates, enabling international travellers to complete the immigration process by themselves in 20 seconds. This state-of-the-art facility will be launched by August 2024.
S. Suhas, Managing Director, CIAL, said, “Implementing FTI-TTP will ensure a fast, safe, and seamless process. The company is proud to collaborate with the Bureau of Immigration to facilitate fast-track biometric smart travel at immigration counters. The biometric authentication process will reduce the immigration verification process time from 4 minutes to just 20 seconds.”
CIAL, the fourth busiest airport in India for international passenger traffic, handles 10 million passengers and 70,200 air traffic movements annually. The airport has recently implemented the Digiyatra facility, developed by its in-house IT team, and has planned several modernization projects, including the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System, to be commissioned next month. The fast-track immigration gates will be deployed this week, with testing starting on Monday, followed by the official launch in August.
The MHA’s FTI-TTP programme aims to expedite the immigration clearance for eligible Indian nationals and foreign nationals holding OCI cards. Applicants must complete a one-time registration process on the MHA portal, upload necessary documents, and enrol biometrics (fingerprint and face image) at the Foreigner’s Regional Registration Office or help desks in the immigration area.
Upon successful validation through mobile OTP, travellers can use the smart gates, bypassing long queues at the departure/arrival immigration counters by self-scanning their passports and using the face recognition system. This eliminates the need for human interaction or fact-checking during immigration.