The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, inaugurated the Digi Yatra facility at Visakhapatnam International Airport on September 6, extending the digital service to nine additional airports. This includes the physical launch at Visakhapatnam and a virtual roll-out at eight more Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports: Coimbatore, Dabolim, Indore, Bagdogra, Ranchi, Patna, Raipur, and Bhubaneswar.
Digi Yatra, first introduced at three airports—New Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru—on December 1, 2022, will now be available at a total of 24 airports across India, enhancing the passenger experience through seamless, contactless processing.
At the launch event, Naidu emphasized Digi Yatra’s efficiency in simplifying the airport process by eliminating the need for multiple documents such as boarding passes and ID proofs. He noted that entry time for passengers has significantly decreased from 15 seconds using traditional methods to just 5 seconds with Digi Yatra. Since its introduction, over 5.5 million users have downloaded the app, with more than 30 million passengers using Digi Yatra to streamline their travel.
Naidu also highlighted Digi Yatra's timely introduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, which addressed the need to reduce physical contact. "Digi Yatra provides contactless and paperless processing at key airport checkpoints, reducing the environmental impact by saving thousands of sheets of paper daily and supporting sustainable development in the aviation sector," Naidu said.
On the matter of data security, the minister reassured travelers, stating, "Digi Yatra is designed with strong data protection measures. No central storage of passengers' Personally Identifiable Information (PII) exists. All data is encrypted and securely stored on passengers' smartphones, shared only temporarily with the airport of origin, and erased within 24 hours after departure. Ensuring privacy is our top priority, and we are committed to safeguarding passenger data."
Digi Yatra, a flagship initiative of the Indian Government, uses Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) to facilitate paperless and contactless boarding at airports. The system allows passengers to move through various airport checkpoints by verifying their identity and travel details through facial recognition, enhancing the overall travel experience.
The event was attended virtually by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol and Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam. Other key officials, including AAI Chairman M. Suresh, Visakhapatnam MP Sribharat Mathukumilli, Andhra Pradesh MLA P.G.V.R. Naidu (Gana Babu), and P.K. Thakur, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), were also present.
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