India’s aviation sector has taken a significant step towards digitalisation with the expansion of the Digi Yatra system, which utilises facial recognition technology for smoother passenger movement. According to the government, this facility is now available at nine more airports.
Passengers at Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Raipur, Bagdogra, Patna, Goa (Dabolim), and Coimbatore can now benefit from the contactless boarding pass system, adding to the list of airports offering this service.
Launched in December 2022 at Bengaluru, Varanasi, and Delhi airports, Digi Yatra has quickly gained popularity. By leveraging facial recognition, it allows passengers to clear various airport checkpoints without the need for physical documents, speeding up the process.
Since its launch, over 30 million people have used Digi Yatra, with more than 5.3 million downloads of the dedicated app, as per government data. The service is also operational at Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Kolkata airports.
This initiative is expected to further streamline airport operations, offering passengers a more seamless journey. As more airports embrace Digi Yatra, it is expected to become the norm for boarding pass systems across India.
What is Digi Yatra?
Digi Yatra is an identity management system for Indian airports aimed at enhancing the country’s civil aviation infrastructure. It digitises manual processes, improves security, and reduces operational costs at airports, making travel more efficient.
Privacy concerns surrounding Digi Yatra
A Niti Aayog study in June highlighted the need for clearer policies regarding the deletion of passenger information from the Digi Yatra database after travel. The system, which relies on facial recognition technology (FRT), enables contactless passenger verification at airport checkpoints.
Currently, the policy mandates the deletion of passengers’ facial biometrics from local airport databases 24 hours after their flight departs. However, the study emphasised the need to clarify rules for the removal of other collected data and any biometric information stored in external databases.
The report also recommended frequent cybersecurity audits and vulnerability testing for the Digi Yatra platform to ensure its security and reliability. Additionally, independent algorithmic audits should be conducted before system deployment and at regular intervals to keep up with evolving security threats.
First Published: Sep 06 2024 | 5:34 PM IST
