Pakistan moves to smart 'one-window' airport clearance system, e-gates

ISLAMABAD: In a major step toward modernising airport operations and easing passenger congestion, Pakistan is advancing plans to introduce a “one-window” clearance system powered by e-gates and smart scanners. The initiative, jointly driven by the Ministries of Defence and Interior, was reviewed in detail at a high-level meeting on Wednesday.

The move comes as passenger traffic continues to surge, with Civil Aviation Authority data showing that Pakistan handled 25.4 million domestic and international travellers in 2025 — a 12 per cent increase year-on-year — intensifying pressure on airport infrastructure.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired the meeting, which focused on improving passenger facilitation while maintaining strict vigilance against human smuggling. Key participants included Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (Retd) Muhammad Ali, and FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar, along with other senior officials.

Officials agreed to replace fragmented, multi-agency checks with a unified system, ensuring seamless coordination at airports. Under the proposed model, all security and immigration checks would be consolidated through a single scanner.

“Unified checking on a single scanner by all institutions will save time and facilitate passengers,” Naqvi said, underscoring the government’s commitment to cutting delays through integrated operations.

The plan includes the introduction of joint counters and installation of advanced baggage and document scanners to accelerate verification processes and enhance detection capabilities. Biometric e-gates using facial recognition and passport scanning technology will also be deployed, reducing immigration clearance time from 3–5 minutes to under 45 seconds per passenger.

The meeting also reviewed progress on e-gate installations, with officials indicating that the phased rollout will likely begin at Islamabad International Airport.

Despite the emphasis on speed, authorities stressed that security would not be compromised. FIA data revealed that more than 1,200 human smuggling attempts were intercepted at airports in 2025 alone.

Officials further noted that the e-gate system would be integrated with the FIA’s exit control list, passenger name records, and Interpol databases, enabling real-time identification of high-risk travellers.

Highlighting the potential impact, a travel operator said that separate immigration and Anti-Narcotics Force checks can currently take up to 40 minutes during peak hours, adding that a unified system would provide significant relief to passengers.