India/United States of America/Iran: Passport checks by Air India at Bombay/Delhi for passengers flying to New York, including those transiting from Iran; passport checks by British Airways for passengers arriving from India and travelling to Toronto (1997)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 2 July 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZZZ32158.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India/United States of America/Iran: Passport checks by Air India at Bombay/Delhi for passengers flying to New York, including those transiting from Iran; passport checks by British Airways for passengers arriving from India and travelling to Toronto (1997), 2 July 1999, ZZZ32158.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab824.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the Website of Air India an airline ticket, a passport with valid visas, and "any other documents that may be required as per local regulations," are required of passengers at the time they check-in with Air India (n.d.). Additionally, with regard to passports Air India advises "you will have to show your passport or travel permit during your journey, so please carry it with you on board the aircraft" (ibid.).
During a 29 June 1999 telephone conversation the Deputy Manager of Air India's Passenger Service Department in New York confirmed that the following procedures were in place for a passenger flying from Bombay or Delhi to New York in 1997:
At the Air India ticket counter in India a passenger would have had his/her passport checked to ensure that the name matched that on the air ticket, that the picture matched that of the person presenting the passport, and that the passport included the necessary visas.
If the person's papers were in order, they would then have had to pass through Indian immigration authorities where their passport and other travel documents would have been examined again.
Before boarding the flight to New York, the passenger's passport and boarding pass would normally have also been checked by Air India staff at the boarding lounge.
The Deputy Manager was unable to provide any examples of instances where this procedure would not be followed, including a passenger transiting in India from Iran (ibid.).
During a 29 June 1999 telephone interview the Customer Relations representative of British Airways in Toronto related information provided to her by the Duty Manager of British Airways at Kennedy International Airport in New York. According to her, all passengers' passports are checked at two locations by British Airways representatives, regardless of whether they are in transit or boarding locally. These locations are at the check-in counter and at the boarding gate. She stated that passengers "don't get on the plane without their papers being checked."
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Air India, New York. 29 June 1999. Telephone interview with the Deputy Manager of the Passenger Service Department.
_____. n.d. "General Information." [Internet]
British Airways, Toronto. 29 June 1999. Telephone interview with a Customer Relations representative.
