AAI chooses 3 airports for biometric-enabled boarding process project

The biometric access system project would be carried out on a pilot basis at the three airports.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) would soon invite bids from interested parties for the biometric access system, its chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said here on Thursday.

Varanasi, Vijaywada and one more airport have been chosen for the Digi Yatra initiative wherein passengers' Aadhaar details could be used for biometric-enabled boarding process, Mohapatra said.

The AAI is believed to have chosen Kolkata as the third airport for the pilot project, an official said.

Varanasi is also the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We expect to issue tenders soon and should be able to start the project in the next 6-8 months," he said on the sidelines of the two-day India Air Transport IT Summit organised by aviation technology services provider SITA.

According to him, the changing profile of air passengers in the country along with safety is a challenge and technology would play a big role in meeting such challenges.

While the full operational contours of such a system are still being worked out, once in place, the passengers can get entry using their biometrics for a seamless boarding process.

Under the Digi Yatra initiative, the civil aviation ministry plans to make boarding pass and security check-in digital.

With the initiative, the idea is to securely identify travellers through Aadhaar number, passport or other documents.

In another innovative move, SITA has also provided a solution for smart and secure handling of passengers' baggage.

Soon, 15 airports in India will start getting real-time information on the status of passengers' baggage, which will significantly reduce the chances of baggage mishandling.