City airport gets DigiYatra, check-in with facial recognition technology

kolkata: The authorities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, Kolkata, have confirmed that passengers travelling from the airport from March 31 onwards can avail of the Digi Yatra facility.

Digi Yatra is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for a biometric boarding system using facial recognition technology. It aims at providing a seamless and hassle-free experience for passengers at airports. Its main objective is to enhance the passenger experience by eliminating the need for verification of tickets and IDs at multiple touchpoints and to achieve better movement of passengers through existing infrastructure using a digital framework.

The facility at Kolkata airport was inaugurated by the airport director C Pattabhi, and a passenger travelling from Kolkata airport, in the presence of Rahul Wandhwa, Chairman, AOC and other senior officials of AAI, CISF, BCAS, and airlines.

An airport official said live trials of Digi Yatra started from February 21, 2023 at the Kolkata airport. Till March 30, 2023, a total of 9206 passengers have utilised the Digi Yatra facility under trial mode. Passengers travelling from Air India, Indigo, Go First, Vistara and SpiceJet can now use the facility at Kolkata airport.

Further, e-gates for Digi Yatra have been installed at departure entry gates 2B and 3A, inside the terminal at security hold area numbers 1, 2 and 3, along with boarding gates 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.

Inaugurating the facility, C Pattabhi, the airport director, said: “The Digi Yatra is a facility for providing passengers with seamless and hassle-free experience at the airports. It will lead to quicker passenger movement, paperless travel, more security and improved airport infrastructures. So, passengers can spend more time in the airport area and use its services like F&B and shopping etc. Passengers are excited to use this system and the experience is satisfactory.” Explaining the process, an airport official said: “The Digi Yatra system works on the principle of automation of the passenger authentication process which will lead to contactless and paperless travel. Digi Yatra procedure employs a single token of facial biometrics to digitally confirm travel, identification or other data required for air travel. The passenger’s face is his boarding pass/identity. India’s air travel infrastructure is embracing technology to provide world-class facilities and experience to its passengers.”