India’s busiest airport in Delhi is increasingly relying on the facial recognition technology called DigiYatra to make the passenger experience smoother. With thousands of passengers using the tech every day in Delhi, the airport will have most of its entry and boarding gates DigiYatra enabled by March end.

What is DigiYatra

DigiYatra was first rolled out on August 15th, 2022, on India’s 75th Independence Day, with a beta version of a contactless passenger processing system at Delhi and Bengaluru airports. The system allows passengers to go through various airport checkpoints without any papers.

To use this facility, passengers are required to download the DigiYatra app and have to register using the credential of their Adhaar Card – a unique identification number that stores a person’s fingerprints and iris scans.

Delhi Airport
Photo: Nicolas Economou/Shutterstock

While entering the airport, passengers are required to scan their boarding pass at the e-gate. A camera installed there also scans the person’s face, and this method is repeated at various checkpoints throughout the airport.

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To be available at most gates in Delhi

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport announced recently that by the end of March, all entry and boarding gates at Terminals 2 and 3 will be DigiYatra enabled. Around 2,500 passengers use this technology in Delhi every day, and having it at all gates will further enhance the passenger experience. Delhi airport operator DIAL released a statement that said,

“After the installation of all the DigiYatra infrastructure at Terminal 3 and Terminal 2, around 40 per cent of the daily domestic travellers will be able to get seamless entry into the terminal, security check area, and boarding gates.”

DIAL also added that this will help passengers save around 15–25 minutes of their time in the process from entry checks to security checks during peak hours, as only a few seconds will be required at every touchpoint.

While the tech is being rolled out swiftly at Terminals 2 and 3, Terminal 1’s entry gates will also be DigiYatra enabled in April.

Easing congestion

The need for such technology at India’s busy airports is massive. With passengers returning in huge numbers, Delhi airport briefly struggled in December last year, with passengers complaining of serpentine queues and even missed flights due to long waiting times for check-ins and security screenings.

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Airlines had also started issuing advisories to reach the airport hours in advance, and the country’s aviation minister also made a surprise visit to the airport to take stock of the situation. There were multiple factors for the congestion last year, and the use of tech like DigiYatra will undoubtedly help towards a smoother passenger experience.

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  • IndiGo SpiceJet Delhi Airport Getty
    Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    DEL/VIDP
    Country:
    India
    CEO:
    Videh Kumar Jaipuriar
    Passenger Count :
    28,500,545 (2020)
    Runways :
    09/27 - 2,813m (9,229ft) | 10/28 - 3,810m (12,500ft) | 11R/29L - 4,430m (14,534ft) | 11L/29R - 4,400m (14,436ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3