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New Delhi, Dec 30: Starting April 1, 2025, airlines will be required to mandatorily share detailed information about foreign travellers with Indian Customs authorities. Non-compliance with this directive may lead to penalties, according to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
All air transport service providers operating flights to and from India must register with the National Customs Targeting Centre-Passenger (NCTC-Pax) by January 10, 2025, to ensure compliance with the regulation. Airlines will need to provide passenger details, including mobile numbers, payment modes, and travel itineraries, at least 24 hours before the departure of international flights.
This requirement stems from the Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022, notified on August 8, 2022. The regulations aim to bolster Customs authorities’ capabilities in passenger risk analysis and interdiction.
To enforce compliance, the Customs department may levy fines ranging from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 for each instance of non-compliance.
The CBIC announced that the NCTC-Pax system, designed to implement this regulation, will undergo a phased rollout starting January 2025. A pilot phase involving select airlines willing to participate will begin by February 10, 2025, with full-scale operations planned from April 1, 2025, for individual airlines and from June 1, 2025, for those using global distribution systems (GDS).
The information to be shared with Customs includes the passenger’s name, billing and payment details, ticket issuance date, intended travel details, travel itinerary, contact information (email and mobile number), baggage details, and any code-share flight arrangements. Airlines will also need to disclose the names of other passengers in the same booking record (PNR) and details of associated travel agencies.
The new system is expected to enhance security and streamline passenger risk management, aligning with global standards for data sharing in international travel.
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