A Digi Yatra gate at the departure block of Vijayawada International Airport, at Gannavaram, Andhra Pradesh.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
India’s facial recognition-based airport access system Digi Yatra is preparing to extend its biometric travel system to international departures, while also pursuing interoperability with the European Union’s equivalent framework that will allow travellers from India easy airport access overseas and expanding domestic access for foreign travellers.
The pilot programme for international departures will run between October and December at Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi and Mumbai airports, Digi Yatra CEO Suresh Khadakbhavi told The Hindu.
Verifying with selfie
It will test electronic passport-based enrolment, allowing travellers to scan an e-passport and verify their identity with a selfie. The resulting digital credential will be stored on the passenger’s phone and linked to a boarding pass that airlines will issue before passengers arrive at the terminal.
Air India and IndiGo are expected to participate in the trial, which will cover Indian and foreign nationals departing on international flights. Initially, the system will be used at airport entry points and security checkpoints.
Immigration will remain outside the first phase because of its regulatory and operational sensitivity, Mr. Khadakbhavi explained.
Not in current practice
The issuance of boarding pass before passengers arrive at the airport marks a departure from current practice. The Digi Yatra CEO said it is needed to create a unique digital identity that can be recognised at airport gates.
The three-month trial will also collect passenger feedback before any wider rollout, including possible domestic use for expatriates and other foreign travellers.
Working with European Union
Alongside the airport trials, Digi Yatra is working on interoperability with the European Union’s digital identity framework, known as EU Digital Identity that allows EU citizens, residents, and businesses to store and share verified digital identity data and official documents. Through their APTITUDE consortium, the platform aims to enable cross-border sharing of travel credentials within three to six months. The longer-term objective is for a passenger travelling from India to Europe to share verified credentials with both departure and destination airports.
The effort is part of a broader self-sovereign identity push under the global airline body International Air Transport Association’s One ID initiative for contactless air travel.
Domestically, Digi Yatra is active at 39 airports and is expected to reach 64 by March 2027, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Face recognition is mandatory at terminal entrances and security checkpoints where the system is available, but face-based boarding remains uneven across airports and airlines.
Officials say the inconsistency reflects investment decisions, infrastructure gaps and differing operational priorities among airlines and airport operators. Talks are continuing to standardise face-based boarding, though no firm timetable has been announced.
‘Travel stack’
On Digi Yatra’s plans to become a complete “travel stack”, which allows its use across hotels and train stations, Mr. Khadakbhavi said expanding beyond aviation would require regulatory clearances. “We are discussing with the authorities and trying to see.”
Addressing privacy concerns over Digi Yatra’s policy including third-party access to data and exceptions to its mandatory 24-hour data purge, the CEO said a revised policy is under review. He had first pledged the revision in June 2024, saying it would clarify language that had raised concerns about potential misuse.
Published – September 24, 2026 05:53 pm IST
