Centre cautions air passengers not to fall prey to fraudulent 'Air Suvidha 2.0' websites
New Delhi, July 25
The government on Saturday urged passengers to verify the correct website of 'Air Suvidha 2.0' carefully before sharing any personal or travel-related information, as certain fraudulent websites are misleading people.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that that certain fraudulent websites and portals are impersonating Air Suvidha 2.0 and misleading passengers by redirecting them to payment gateways.
"Passengers are advised that Air Suvidha 2.0 services are provided free of cost, and no payment is required for submission of the Self-Declaration Form. The only official Air Suvidha 2.0 portal is: https://airsuvidha.civilaviation.gov.in/," said the ministry.
The ministry further said that passengers are urged to verify the website's URL carefully before sharing any personal or travel-related information and to avoid making payments on any unauthorised website claiming to offer Air Suvidha 2.0 services.
"Passengers are requested to use only the official portal and rely on official Government communications for authentic information," it mentioned.
Last month, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in collaboration with Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), launched 'Air Suvidha 2.0' which is an upgraded and fully contactless Passenger Health Self-Declaration Portal aimed at enhancing public health surveillance at international Points of Entry amid concerns arising from the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak.
The upgraded platform has been introduced following the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of the Ebola/Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17 under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.
It has been designed to facilitate efficient health monitoring while ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for passengers arriving in India. Authorities said the upgraded system allows real-time sharing of passenger data with multiple agencies, including the Airport Health Officer, Bureau of Immigration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and State Surveillance Officers.
The integrated data-sharing mechanism will help authorities rapidly identify travellers who may be at risk and ensure timely referral, monitoring, and necessary public health interventions. At the same time, the process is intended to remain seamless and fully contactless, eliminating the need for physical declaration of forms upon arrival.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm glad the government is being proactive about this. But why do we always have to learn about these issues through news? The ministry should have a dedicated awareness campaign running at airports and on social media 24/7. Common sense would tell people not to pay for a free service, but cyber criminals are becoming very sophisticated.
As someone who travels internationally from India frequently, this is a good reminder. The Air Suvidha process has actually been smoother since the upgrade to version 2.0. It's annoying that scammers are trying to ruin a good thing. Thanks for the heads up, Ministry.
Yaar, why can't people be more careful? I see so many in my building sharing links without checking. The official website is right there in the article. Just bookmark it and don't click on random ads or links from WhatsApp forwards. Common sense yaar, but then again, jab tak government awareness nahi badhata...
This is a classic phishing scam. People should always double-check URLs and never pay for government services unless it's through an official payment gateway. I've travelled in and out of India recently and used Air Suvidha – it was free and easy. Don't be fooled! 🚫💸
Good initiative, but the government should also ensure that the official website is easy to find on Google. Many times, people end up on sponsored scam links because the real site isn't ranked high. SEO is important for public safety too. Otherwise, this is a well-meaning step. 👍
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.