3 Italian passengers fly out of Delhi without immigration clearance: What exactly happened

3 Italian passengers flew from Amritsar to Munich without immigration clearanceWhat exactly happened? Under this arrangement, passengers complete immigration formalities at the airport of origin and can then travel to an overseas destination through a designated hub. At the hub airport, where the international flight departs, passengers are required only to undergo security checks before boarding.For a passenger travelling from Amritsar via Delhi to an international destination, Amritsar serves as the spoke and Delhi as the hub.In the case of the three Italian passengers, sources said they were issued boarding passes at Amritsar for both their flight to Delhi and the Lufthansa flight to Munich.However, as the two flights were not covered under Air India’s ‘Hub-and-Spoke’ model, the passengers were required to exit through the arrival area at Delhi and complete immigration formalities before taking the Lufthansa flight.After arriving at Delhi airport, they were instead taken to the international transfer area and did not reach the immigration counter. They then boarded the flight to Munich without completing the immigration process, the sources said, as cited by PTI.Air India and Lufthansa have an interline partnership. An interline agreement generally allows passengers to book connecting flights operated by different airlines under a single itinerary.

Source: Times of India September 14, 2026 16:29 UTC