Delhi, Bengaluru airports start biometric screening of domestic passengers

Contactless and paperless process through DigiYatra aims to reduce waiting time

Delhi and Bengaluru airports on Monday launched the beta version of an app that allows contactless screening of domestic passengers based on the use of face biometrics.

DigiYatra app or project is part of government efforts to decongest airports and improve passenger experience by cutting down waiting time. Using Digi Yatra, a passenger will pass through various checkpoints at airports through paperless and contactless processing. The app uses facial features to establish an identity linked to a passenger’s boarding pass.

The project is based on the Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). Pune, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Varanasi and Hyderabad airports are expected to join the app by March next year. Digi Yatra will cater to all passengers, be it Indian citizens (With or without Digi Yatra ID) or foreign nationals.

“The technology will make the boarding process significantly faster and more seamless as each flyer would need less than three seconds at every touchpoint with their faces acting as their documents, like ID proof, vaccine proof, and also their boarding pass”, said Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) in a statement on Monday.

DigiYatra is available on Google Playstore for Android users; an iOS version will be made available in one month. Currently, Tata Group-backed Vistara and AirAsia are the two airlines integrated with DigiYatra. Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said it has been pioneering the DigiYatra effort from its early concept days and pilot trials have been held since January 2017.

Taking care of privacy concerns, DigiYatra ensures that passengers don't have to worry about sharing their data as it will be deleted after 24 hours following their travel.