Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, inaugurated the Digi Yatra facility at Visakhapatnam International Airport, extending the service to nine additional airports. The virtual launch covered eight other airports managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), including Coimbatore, Dabolim, Indore, Bagdogra, Ranchi, Patna, Raipur, and Bhubaneshwar.
During the event, the minister explained how Digi Yatra simplifies the process of navigating airports by eliminating the need to manage multiple documents, such as boarding passes and ID proofs. He mentioned that passenger entry time has reduced significantly, from 15 seconds to just 5 seconds. Over 55 lakh users have already downloaded the Digi Yatra app, and more than 3 crore passengers have used it for travel.
The introduction of Digi Yatra began in December 2022 at three airports—New Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru. With today’s additions, the total number of Digi Yatra-enabled airports rises to 24.
Naidu also addressed the importance of Digi Yatra’s contactless and paperless system, which proved essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative has contributed to reducing paper use and supporting the aviation sector’s sustainability efforts.
Regarding data security, Naidu reassured passengers that their privacy is protected. He emphasized that the system does not store passengers’ personal information centrally. All data is encrypted and stored only on passengers’ smartphones, shared temporarily with the airport of origin, and deleted within 24 hours of departure.
Digi Yatra is a digital initiative by the government aimed at enhancing the passenger experience through the use of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). It allows travellers to pass through airport checkpoints with contactless and paperless processing.