With back-to-back developments, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation is leaving no stone unturned to transform New Delhi IGI Airport into a global transit hub on the lines of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Singapore, and US airports. A global transit hub is the crucial point where international airlines provide seamless connections to countries far and wide, and hassle-free transfer to connecting flights. With the increased passenger-handling capacity, four runways, expanded terminals, and DigiYatra technology (facial recognition) in place, Indira Gandhi Airport takes center stage in the government’s plans for developing an international aviation hub in India.
If reports are to be believed, New Delhi International Airport is looking to set up the US pre-clearance facility for outbound travelers to the States. Apparently, both the civil aviation ministry and Air India are supporting what could be a game changer for the airlines operating flights to USA from India and the economics of Indian aviation. If implemented, the US pre-clearance facility at DEL Airport would enable you to fly into America as domestic passengers.
It is anticipated that this move by the government would largely benefit Air India and its passengers taking nonstop flights to USA from Delhi. The US pre-clearance facility in India would, no doubt, be a highly competitive advantage for Air India over its rivals and in attracting US-bound traffic from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other neighboring countries. Certainly, it would help establish Delhi IGI Airport as an international transit hub for southeast Asian countries that, in turn, would fuel the growth of India’s aviation economy.
If the US immigration & customs pre-clearance ever become a reality for India, it would help Air India outshine the Middle East carriers who command a great deal of brand loyalty among US-India travelers. Though Air India is rebuilding itself as a world-class airline through a number of developments, from multibillion-dollar fleet upgrade to premium economy launch to inflight service enhancement, surpassing the dominance of Emirates or Qatar Airways in the US-India travel corridor will take Air India a few years down the line. Only such strategic moves as US CBP pre-clearance can accelerate Air India’s pace in competition with the rivals.
Currently, the United States provides CBP pre-clearance service at 15 airports in 6 countries, including Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Dublin and Shannon in Ireland; and Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, and Victoria in Canada. Precisely, only Zayed International Airport (Abu Dhabi) has the US pre-clearance facility in the Asian continent.
“The likely US pre-clearance facility at the largest Indian airport in Delhi would be a boon for those senior citizens who are not comfortable or fluent in English communication. It would facilitate their arrival in the US as domestic passengers. With preclearance as part of the pre-boarding formalities in India, they would get to exit the entry airport or proceed to connecting flights without undergoing CBP and TSA inspections,” said the chief travel advisor of Indian Eagle, a most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians in America.
This will not be helpful for people like me who do not reside in Delhi. I take Emirates because the HYD -> DXB flight is far more comfortable than HYD -> DEL. Having US pre-clearance will not convince me to take the HYD – DEL and then board the flight to US. It is just too uncomfortable. It starts with checking in luggage twice. Paying extra money for the check-in luggage. A possible delay in the flight or having too big a gap between my flights. Emirates solves all these problems for me.
A better thing for Govt. of India to pursue will be to launch a direct flight from HYD to JFK and/or HYD to SFO. With Air India purchasing multiple a350 ulr and also having some 787-8, this is totally possible and would be helpful for people like me.
Hi Ramesh! Your points have weight. Not every US-bound traveler would benefit from the proposed US preclearance facility in New Delhi. Air India discontinued HYD to Chicago nonstop service during the pandemic. Since then, Air India has not planned for resumption of the service.
Oh, wow. This will be amazing if US Preclearance Facility is made available at New Delhi Airport (or any other Indian Airport)
Hi Vijay! Fingers are crossed. The US preclearance facility in India would be a boon for US-bound passengers, especially senior citizens.