GUWAHATI: Digi Yatra has been launched at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport in Guwahati, Assam on Sunday (August 20) for a paperless boarding facility for air travellers.
It was first launched in December 2022 at the airports in Delhi, Varanasi and Bengaluru.
Digi Yatra is a mobile application-based facility conceived to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT).
It helps travellers pass through various checkpoints at the airports through paperless and contactless processing using facial features to validate their identity and travel details.
Digi Yatra, an industry-led initiative co-ordinated by the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) has been introduced in 12 airports of the country.
Presently, the initiative will be implemented in one gate of the present terminal.
Two airlines – Indigo and Akasha Air have used this facility.
“Within September 30, all other airlines will apply this facility,” said Utpal Baruah, chief operational officer of the LGBI airport in Guwahati, Assam said.
“Later, the facility will be used in six gates of the new terminal,” Baruah said.
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“India is the pioneer to introduce such a new initiative. There is no such system in other parts of the world for facial recognition of air travellers,” Baruah further said
Under the Digi Yatra, air passengers will be automatically processed based on a facial recognition system at checkpoints like; entry point check, entry into security check, and aircraft boarding.
Additionally, this will also facilitate self-bag drop and check-in, using facial recognition to identify pax and data recall.
Digi Yatra will facilitate paperless travel and avoid identity checks at multiple points.
“Digi Yatra is a new initiative in air travel in our country. All passengers will be able to register their documents in the Digi Yatra app and enter the airport during the journey by scanning their face. The gate will open as soon as the face will be recognised on the camera,” Bansal said.
“The service has already been arranged at 12 airports including Mumbai, Lucknow, Cochin, Delhi and Guwahati. The service will reach three major areas of the airport such as the first entrance, check-in and boarding areas,” Bansal said.
“80% of passengers in Varanasi and 20% in Delhi have already used this facility. We hope that the majority of passengers in the Northeast will also use this facility shortly,” Bansal added.
Speaking on the occasion, Assam minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said: “It is an important day for us. The new system will reduce queuing time for air travellers. The security is enhanced as the system will map the passenger with the PNR. Only bona fide passengers will be allowed entry at every checkpoint. Airlines will be benefitted by knowing the passenger position in the airport.”