Govt launches facial recognition-based entry at 3 Indian airports; know how it works

In a bid to provide a seamless and hassle-free air travel experience, the Indian government on Thursday, December 1, launched DigiYatra - which will allow entry of air passengers based on a facial recognition system at the airports in Delhi, Bangalore, and Varanasi. The Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched it at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

Notably, Digi Yatra is conceived to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). The project basically envisages that travellers may pass through various checkpoints at the airports through paperless and contactless processing using facial features to establish their identity which could be linked to the boarding pass.

By March 2023, DigiYatra will be launched at four more airports -- Hyderabad, Pune, Vijayawada, and Kolkata. Subsequently, the technology would be implemented across the country. DigiYatra is presently being launched for domestic flight passengers. 

How to use DigiYatra?

To use this facility, a one-time registration on the Digi Yatra app is required using Aadhar-based validation and a self-image capture. There is no central storage of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

The passenger’s ID and travel credentials are stored in a secure wallet on the passenger’s smartphone itself. The DigiYatra app is available on Android and ioS platforms. At the Delhi airport, the DigiYatra facility is currently available to passengers taking domestic flights from Terminal 3 (T3).

'Passenger data shared will be saved in an encrypted format': Jyotirao Scindia

While responding to queries concerning the privacy of data shared with DigiYatra, Jyotirao Scindia said passenger data shared will be saved in an encrypted format in a decentralised manner. Scindia said the facility will also be rolled out at other airports in the country soon. 

According to Scindia, the data will be saved in an encrypted format and blockchain technology is being used. The data is stored in passengers' phones and the data shared with the airport is deleted 24 hours after the journey, he added.