DigiYatra | 03 Dec 2022

Recently, the government has introduced paperless entry at select airports to make air travel hassle-free.

In the first phase, the initiative will be launched at seven airports, starting with three — Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi, followed by four airports namely Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, and Vijayawada by March 2023.
Subsequently, the technology will be implemented across the country.

About:
- DigiYatra envisages that travellers pass through various checkpoints at the airport through paperless and contactless processing, using facial features to establish their identity, which would be linked to the boarding pass.
- With this technology, the entry of passengers would be automatically processed based on the facial recognition system at all checkpoints – including entry into the airport, security check areas, aircraft boarding, etc.
Implementation:
- The project is being implemented by the DigiYatra Foundation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
  - DigiYatra Foundation is a joint-venture company whose shareholders are the Airports Authority of India and Bengaluru Airport, Delhi Airport, Hyderabad Airport, Mumbai Airport and Cochin International Airport.
Significance:
- Facial recognition technology is beneficial as it makes flying more convenient and reduces congestion at airports.
  - The facial recognition system at various airports across the globe, including Dubai, Singapore, Atlanta and Narita (Japan), have helped bring in efficiency.
- Result in lower cost operations.
- Digitize current manual processes and to bring better efficiencies.
- Enhance security standards and improve current system performance.
- With Digi Yatra, India is setting a new global benchmark for a seamless, hassle free and health risk free process at airports.